Knicks Could Offer Star Historic $296 Million Extension: Report
The New York Knicks have a lot of offseason decisions to make, including finding a new head coach.
But another verdict the Knicks will have to come to is the extension of Mikal Bridges. The 28-year-old is entering the last year of his current contract but could be in line for a historic extension if he wants until next offseason. According to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, Bridges could sign a $296 million deal in the summer of 2026.
“Mikal Bridges has the option to extend his contract this summer for up to four years and $156 million, but the riches that could await a year from now (and the sheer number of additional suitors who could drive up Bridges’ price), will be too tantalizing to resist,” Hughes wrote. “In 2026, Bridges could earn $296 million on a new max deal.”
Bridges will enter the final season of the four-year $90 million extension he signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2022. He was also named a possible trade piece for New York this summer.
Uncertain Future With The Knicks
Frank Isola of SNY recently said that the Knicks could be in line to trade either Bridges or Mitchell Robinson this summer. Both are in the last year of their deals, and New York might want to free up cap space for All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
If Bridges signs the extension this summer instead of next, he would be making $156 million compared to the possible $296 million. Regardless, Isola believes New York might not want to pay that number for the forward who has yet to miss a game through his seven NBA seasons.
“One of the reasons Mikal Bridges’ name has surfaced in trade discussions, according to several team executives,” Isola wrote on X, about the possible Bridges extension. “Mitchell Robinson is another player being discussed.”
New York acquired Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets last summer in a trade that included four unprotected first-round picks. In his first season with the Knicks, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 50% shooting in all 82 regular season games.
Knicks In The East
While New York might not be excited at the notion of paying Bridges either the extension now or next summer, they can make another deep playoff run with him following a string of Achilles injuries by top Eastern Conference players.
They had their most successful season in 25 years, and Bridges was a mainstay and key contributor in their first conference finals appearance since 2000. Hughes said that, like Brunson, Bridges could also return at a discount in hopes of keeping their core together for the next few years.
“The counter here is that Jalen Brunson took less than the max on his last extension,” Hughes wrote. “And that all Knicks, especially the Villanova ones, will follow suit.”
However, New York could also delay their Bridges decision and instead choose to either wait and assess his value during the regular season or trade him before losing him in the offseason for nothing.
“The Knicks can afford to let the early part of the season play out,” Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston wrote. “Determine if he is worth the extension, and make an educated decision from there.”
If Bridges does choose to wait until next summer to become an unrestricted free agent, he would be able to sign that $296 million extension. Although other players around the league will likely sign larger contracts before then, the contract would make Bridges the second-highest-paid player in the NBA.
While New York faces the decision regarding Bridges, that likely won’t happen until after they find a replacement for head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was abruptly fired at the end of the season.
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