The Milwaukee Bucks may be able to offer the Knicks a solution they never expected to consider. Exchanging Mikal Bridges for Kyle Kuzma is a proposition sure to be scoffed at by New Yorkers. But, provided the Bucks throw in some kind of sweetener, it could actually make sense.
Bridges has never lived up to the haul the Knicks gave up to get him. For a role player, even a high-quality one, his contract is a substantial burden in itself. He hasn't lived up to that four-year, $150 million extension, either.
The breaking point may be playing out before Knicks fans' eyes. Bridges has been a total no-show this postseason. The rest of the roster isn't cheap. Suddenly, taking on Kuzma's expiring salary isn't such an outlandish idea.
Bridges hasn't held up his end of the bargain for the Knicks
Bridges has been downright dismal in New York's first-round matchup with Atlanta. Held scoreless in Game 3, he posted a negative-26 in the box score in a one-point loss.
He has averaged just 7.3 points per game in the series, without contributing in other categories. Tellingly, Bridges played only 19 minutes in the Knicks' Game 4 win.
Make no mistake, he was still a valuable player in the regular season. Alongside plus defense, he provided 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on efficient shooting splits. That's perfectly fine.Â
Problem is, perfectly fine isn't necessarily going to cut it. In his second Knicks season, he put up his most pedestrian numbers since 2021-22 in Phoenix. As good as he is defensively, he isn't the same lockdown defender he was for the Suns.
His fully guaranteed extension, a 65 percent raise in annual value versus his last contract, kicks in next year. This season, the Knicks just snuck under the second apron. Counting only the nine players under contract in 2026-27, next season's cap allocations still hover at nearly $259 million.Â
The Knicks may already be having buyer's remorse over extending Bridges.
Bucks have an offer New York could be forced to considerÂ
The Bucks could help them out. Kuzma can't match Bridges' talent or production (actually, it's worth noting that Kuzma's season stats were alarmingly similar). With one year and $20.5 million left on his contract, what he could do is grant the Knicks some serious salary relief.Â
If they chose to keep him, he would approximate Bridges positionally as a wing defender, albeit without the ability to flex into the lineup as a two-guard. The Bucks would get a better player in exchange for absorbing his long-term contract. They would also need to attach a sweetener, such as draft capital and/or an additional player (a Knicks reunion with Bobby Portis, anyone?).
That deal only happens, of course, if Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee. The Knicks might have something to say about that. In any case, if Giannis is traded and a rebuild begins, Kuzma's expiring salary would be more attractive to the Bucks than the prospect of giving up assets to take on a salary like Bridges'.
Ultimately, the Knicks' willingness to play ball likely depends on two things: how far they advance in the playoffs, and how Bridges performs in the remaining games. If he continues to struggle, the front office will have less and less justification for keeping his contract on the books.Â
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