The Final Piece: Mikal Bridges' Championship Evolution

Mikal Bridges was the key player the Brooklyn Nets acquired when they sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in February 2023. The four-team trade returned Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks to Brooklyn.

Bridges' Brooklyn breakout: averaged 26.1 points per game for the rest of the 2022-23 season, helping the Nets reach the playoffs. His play led many around the NBA to believe he would become a first-time All-Star.

Full circle: Bridges went from being a role player on the 2021 Western Conference champion Suns to the centerpiece of a Durant blockbuster, to the centerpiece of another blockbuster that sent him to the Knicks — where he's now one win from back-to-back conference finals.

On July 6, 2024, the New York Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for five first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap, and three players including Bojan Bogdanovic. It was the first trade between the crosstown rivals since 1983.

The draft capital: Knicks sent first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, plus the right to swap first-round picks in 2028, plus Milwaukee's 2025 first-round pick.

The Villanova reunion: the trade reunited Bridges with his Villanova championship teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo — creating the "Nova Knicks" core.

After a brutal start to the 2026 playoffs — averaging just 7.2 PPG through five games against Atlanta and getting benched for most of the second half in Game 3 — Bridges has completely turned it around.

The turning point: Game 6 vs. Atlanta (May 1, 2026): 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block on 10-for-12 shooting in just 27 minutes. It was his most points of the series and nearly matched his total shot attempts from the previous three games combined (13).

Coach Brown's reaction: "It was great. He just did what he's capable of doing... I wouldn't let it go unnoticed that his defense was phenomenal."

Since Game 6: Bridges has averaged 20.5 PPG over his last four playoff games, silencing the doubters who questioned the trade.

With OG Anunoby sidelined by a hamstring injury, Bridges stepped into the role of primary defensive disruptor in Game 3 against Philadelphia.

The Maxey containment: Bridges helped limit 76ers leading scorer Tyrese Maxey to just eight shot attempts through the first three quarters. Maxey — who averaged 22.3 PPG in the first round against Boston — was held to 17 points and was notably passive in the second half.

Coach Mike Brown's praise: "I would be not doing my job if I didn't point out the continued work that Mikal is doing at the point of attack when it comes to Maxey. You're not going to stop him. You hope he misses a few shots, but you have to give multiple efforts, and Mikal is busting his behind trying to do that."

The fourth quarter lockdown: the Knicks held the 76ers to just 18 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3, following a 12-point fourth-quarter showing in Game 2.

Bridges' humble response: "Just trying to do whatever it takes to win. Beginning of the playoffs, knowing that all 82 regular-season (games) means a lot, but there's another season after."

Bridges delivered his best all-around playoff game of 2026 in Game 3 at Philadelphia, finishing with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals on 8-for-14 shooting (57.1%), 2-for-4 from three (50.0%), and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Impact: the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 15 points in Bridges' 37 minutes of action.

The clutch sequence: in the fourth quarter, with the 76ers mounting a comeback, Josh Hart and Bridges scored on consecutive possessions before Jalen Brunson buried a deep three — a crushing 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 95-86 and effectively ended the game.

Paul George lockdown: Bridges also shut down Paul George after his hot start — George scored 15 points in the first quarter, but missed all 9 of his remaining shots with Bridges as the primary defender.

Bridges is one-third of the Knicks' Villanova core — alongside Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart — who won two NCAA national championships together at Villanova (2016, 2018).

The Game 3 clutch sequence: Hart and Bridges scored on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter before Brunson buried a deep three to seal the win. The trio combined for key plays during the decisive 9-0 run.

Brunson on Bridges: "He's a huge factor for us. He's been playing great. Obviously, there's times throughout the season for every player when there's ups and downs. But he stays mentally strong. He comes into work, does his work, does his routine and all that stuff. As long as you keep chipping away, things are going to fall in your favor."

Championship pedigree: Bridges won two national titles at Villanova before reaching the NBA Finals with Phoenix in 2022. He helped the Knicks reach the conference finals in 2025 and now has them one win from returning in 2026. He's never missed the playoffs in his entire NBA career.

Bridges logged a career playoff low of just 21 minutes in Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks (April 24, 2026), a 109-108 loss that put the Knicks down 2-1 in the first round.

The struggle: through the first five games of the Atlanta series, Bridges averaged just 7.2 PPG — down from his regular season average of 15.9 PPG, which was already his lowest scoring output since 2021-22. He averaged only 1.4 rebounds per game in those five games.

The noise: Knicks fans were openly questioning the trade. Social media called it a disaster. The five first-round picks loomed over every missed shot.

The response: Game 6 vs. Atlanta — 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 10-for-12 FG. Then Game 1 vs. Philly — 22 points, 5 assists, 7-for-10 FG. He hasn't looked back since. Four straight games of 20+ points after barely cracking double digits in the first round.