New York Knicks Extend Mikal Bridges For $150 Million / 4 Years!!! Cornerstone or Mistake?

[Music] Heat. Heat. Before [Music] we get started, make sure to hit the like, subscribe to the channel. Make sure to hit the dark notification bell so you get each and every notification for each and every video I put out. There’s your boy GMO Legion Knicks. Let’s get it. So, my son, MacBridge, just got extended by the New York Knicks for 150 million for four years at 37.5 million a year. This is a guy who took a so-called $6 million pay cut. Help is helping the Knicks stay under the second apron, which is uber important as the Knicks try to get towards or move towards an actual finals appearance at the very least this next coming season. Uh Mob Bridges could have wait till next season where he’s a free agent, but he took the extension now, saving Knicks a ton of money. Uh he could have taken a $200 million deal for four years next year on the market or possibly get the $293 I think $300 million max for five years I believe from the Knicks. I doubt the Knicks are going to give him a max but not going out there and having the Knicks and say hey I’m going to go out there and see what the market wants to give me. Same with the Knicks taking so-called 50 around $50 million less than $200 million he could have got next year is a major boom for the Knicks is the help a team out philosophy that Jayen Brunson’s helped to install here as he took a pay cut uh to help the Knicks try to build a championship contender. Now I really don’t care what a lot of you guys say Bridges my my done life did put up a decent 17.6 points a game 3.7 assists a game 3.2 two rebounds a game, 50% from the field, 35% from three, which is not the worst. Obviously, as a downturn somewhat to the production he had with the uh Brooklyn X, but again, he was being misu I say misused. His value got over rated or over I don’t know how to put it. He was producing a lot, but we knew that’s not his game. He’s not a guy that’s going to be doing that. That’s not his game. The Bookshets just traded for him. They’re trying to make it work after dismantling that Kyrie Irving KD team and they try to make it work, put something together uh um to try to run with 30 billion damn forwards. It didn’t really work out that way, but they utilize MacBridge in a way that made his stats look pop out even more. That wasn’t his game. Now, last year with the playoffs, people killed him for his play just throughout the season. I’m going to get to that in a little bit, but Macab Bridges did put up 15.6 points a game, 33% from three, uh 45.6% 6% from the field, 4.5 rebounds a game, 2.9 assists. But he was the guy who had some amazing plays. Had the the help block on Jason Tatum to help the Knicks win uh uh I think he had it in two games actually to help the Knicks win um uh uh that game in the series, one of the games and in the series overall. Um but Macau Bridges in taking this deal helps out the Knicks a lot. He’ll be making I think he’s going to be what the 20 he’ll be making around 20% of the team salary compared to Brunson at 22% OG at 30 25%. Cat at around 34%. Nick is still under second apron around 3.7 uh uh million under that second apron according to uh I believe it’s Bobby Marx who did a great breakdown of this on Twitter. Um, and then obviously there’ll be $19.7 million under the apron I believe in 2026. Now, interestingly enough, in that year, that’s when Mitchell Robinson comes off the books. Jordan Clark says, “Well, Ariel Hug Py comes off the books.” Now, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on Ari to kind of fill in the shoes at the backup center position because if you think about it, I know 15 minutes is not a lot, but Mitchell Robinson, a guy who has been often injured, but he’s a guy that when he’s on the floor, he does make a difference on defensive end. He’s probably going to be looking for a decent amount of money. Ariel Huck Pertie could come in and be uh uh that that that guy that could replace him. Probably won’t give as much on the offensive end, but at least on the defensive end, you’re going to be getting a lot. Sorry, not on the defensive end, but on the offensive end, you’re going to get a lot of value Hug Party. So, it’ll be really important to see Huck Party shine through and produce. I’m just looking at the Bobby Marks uh uh breakdown chart that he provided on Twitter. And so, With the Knicks being under there, you got Huck Party this season only making around 2 million. Um, he’ll be restricted free agent next year. Uh, Jonah Clarkson will be UFA. M Robs will be a UFA. Uh, that year next year. The Knicks will be $18.7 million under the cap. And this is with the Mau the Mikau Macau Bridges extension already being incorporated into the calculations at around 33.482 million a year. So important year for Huck Party, but important year overall for the Knicks. Um given the fact that they’re still going to be under the second apron, they got to they still got they still have their middle lever exception uh ready to go. Um so they have some space to kind of operate and add who they need. Now there’s been rumors that Mike Brown is a guy that tried to bring on Ben Simmons last year with the Kings. Didn’t work out. Let’s just move on from that. I I’d rather just bring back uh I’d rather just bring back L. go to your man Ben Simmons. Um, this also assumes that Gersian Yabuselli is going to remain on the books. That whole breakdown I just talked about at 5.775 million a year. If he has a great year, he has a player option. He goes back into the market and says, “Hey, I want more money. If he doesn’t, we try to make it work again, he probably takes the deal.” So, just to give you some context on how things work there. Uh and some of the contracts when you look at some of the contracts Macau Bridges uh is is you know when people say oh he’s so overrated 300 and a half million but you got guys like and don’t get me wrong this my my son Desmond Bane who just got traded um not for necessarily bad reasons got traded to the Magic. They looking for that that two guard. So again, I wouldn’t say that Desmond Bane is is is is worse off or not. I wouldn’t compare in the sense of saying Macabers has been in Desane per se, but Zion Williamson has not been playing. He’s getting paid more than your manabers. Brandon Ingram just got traded to the Raptors. This guy’s been I don’t want to say a disappointment, but he ain’t really panning out like people thought he would with the new New Orleans Pelicans. Malamelo Ball, as talented as guy is, the Charlotte Hornets have seen how many playoff games with that guy as your star point guard. And then Zack Lavine, who’s moved from team to team, the explosive two guard who just never put it all together. And then Daryus Garland. Come on, dogs. So, you going to sit up here and tell me those guys make him more than Mabbr. Makabers doesn’t have as much value as those guys now. Take into a fact, take into account, excuse me, what uh he was doing last year with the Knicks. You’re talking about a guy in Macabers at one point had the second most points on offense and defense. Sorry, the second most miles, excuse me, I said points. Second most miles on offense and defense with the Knicks. There’s a guy who had a a less than 20% usage rate. So, he’s running back and forth. He’s our the team’s main point of attack defender. Got no help on the screens. Cat dropped back on defense. Got no help. the team’s point of attack defender even came out and complained talking about the minutes and utilized guys off the bench and he still had to go out there and try to be as efficient as possible having a less than 20% usage rate going back and forth. I got a video brewing on this talking about how I think Macabber is actually underrated last year. Stay tuned for that. But a guy who had to come and you guys wanted him to shoot 40% from the field being worn and torn out with his legs. Again, I’m I’m just saying that you take you you I I think his numbers should pop a little bit more with less minutes, less dependence, less usage. Um I think some of the schemes that Mike Brown is going to be bringing in should definitely help Mauy Bridges pop in a sense of getting more comfortable being an off guard type of sorry, an off shooting guard, off ball shooting guard in a sense. Not to say that he wasn’t do that with the Knicks. Last year was just missing on shots that we just needed. I think some of the pressure taking some of this off defense and having schemes where it’s just so much more offball offense embedded into it. You seen guys like Kevin Hurder excel in the Mike Brown system. Malik Monk excelled in that system. And so having uh that system from Bridge should take a lot of the the pressure not just off of his leg but but just the expectations uh of him given the fact that he’s just not going to be as worn out. Um, now is interestingly enough, the Knicks are bringing in um uh uh the defensive coach uh from the Clippers, Brandon Cooper or Brennan Connor, who’s with the team for like 12 years and I think last year they ranked what are they ranked fourth in defensive rating. So, it’ll be interesting to see how Brandon O’ Conor, again, I’m not exactly sure what the defensive principles are going to be bringing in, if they mirror some of what Tom Tibido was doing, even though a lot of these guys just take from each other. They take from the college ranks and then picking, you know, they alakart alakart, excuse me, and pick whatever they like. But, it should be interesting to see how Brandon Okconor being utilized uh with the Knicks as a so-called defensive coordinator, how he maximizes the value from uh not just Macau Bridges, but the team in general. Um, so again, Macob Bridges has really no excuse. Now he got got paid. He’s going to be in a very team a a shooting guard friendly offense that should definitely uh maximize his value. Um and on the defensive end, just having someone who can have the offense, you saw the Clippers were doing on offense like they have the better offensive players, but then to be able to do what they did defensively um uh with Brandon Okconor at the helm 12 years. I believe they went to the playoffs 10 years that he was there. The 10 years that that Brandon Kyle was there. Now granted, you had Macau. No, you had uh uh freaking Kawhi Leonard and Harden, but back then you had SGA. Uh you had some, you know, that that year they won with Doc Rivers cuz they did with Doc Rivers, Tyrone Lou. The year that SGA basically got him to the playoffs, uh wasn’t much to really build around. That’s why they made the trade unfortunately trade him to the Thunder. But, you know, for guy Brennan Connor come in can come in and maximize Mauy Bridges value on the floor should be really uber important. Now, is it enough to get the Knicks over the hump Bridges? It remains to be seen. Now, can he be your number three scorer? I think there’s a lot of space for him to do so, right? I just like the way he plays. I like the fact that the mid-range was something like was his layup. People say, “Oh, he needs to go to basket. He needs to Well, if you’re not the strongest one in the basket, why would I go to basket? I’m not going to get the foul. I’m I’mma go up get blocked or not get the foul. That’s not my game. Let me shoot the mid-range shot which your man was shooting what above 50% from mid-range. Very fluid do so. Another thing I liked with Macau Bridges that look at how Tom Tibbo utilized him in the playoffs uh uh late in games, right? And I think that Tom Tibido I think there was a comfort level with going to Ma Bridges when even Jaylen Bruner was out. remember the few games Celtics uh Pacers where Jaylen Brunson was not in yet and Moby Bridges was holding it down. I think one game he scored like 10 points in the fourth quarter if I remember in a in a win. So you having a guy like Ma Bridges and give him that confidence thing with him was confidence start off last year kind of off the wrong foot offensively. He kind of saw his players not necessarily directly but kind of you know indirectly kind of sticking up for him and speaking to his strengths and whatnot. You know, I I think that some of the pressures being off him just, you know, legwise and usage wise on defense and having the second most minutes on both ends of the floor and not being a number one option, number two option really on offense. I think that some of those things should definitely help Mauy Bridges have a a quicker start as well as offensive system. Um, I think he can be your number three scorer behind Cat. Uh, the thing with Kyle is that he’s just very fluid moving off the ball. you like uh when he’s in a rhythm where he doesn’t have to so-called be the man, but you saw with the Suns, when your star players were out like M uh uh Devin Booker, man, Mauy Bridges stepped up beautifully and I expect to see that with Mike Brown, especially with his, you know, his his sound offense. Now, the whole idea of Mau Bridges, people trying to destroy this guy, I’m like, look what he had to play with defensively last year outside of OJ Anubi. Uh Cat is a terrible defender. Brunson tries, he’s not a great defender, right? So, I’m I’m I I think that people got to step back and add some context, create some context and take away some factors that may have led to some of the so-called weak play by Macau Bridges. And also, again, yes, we trade a lot of pieces for him. I know people might look at it and say, “Oh, that that shook it up. Who are we going to get that that you have a championship team? Who are you guys going to get in this first uh uhh in this draft last year, one of these first round picks? Who we going to get that’s going to get us to help get us to the promised land? Now granted, it’s a hefty price to pay, but when you’re championship level team and your draft picks are going to be trash for the most part, unless you pick perfectly and get some late first round or second round, dude, it’s it’s typically not happening. So, we made the price. I think people have to get out get that out their heads, right? Get that out your heads. We’re not going to get those draft picks back. It is what it is. Macau Bridges is here. F it. Ako like Akato right now it’s all about trying to maximize Mauy Bridges where I think like I think that he can do that in Ma in Mike Brown’s system. I think Mike Brown is his biggest his biggest issue is one all the buyin thing doesn’t rub players the wrong way and I I hope he learned his lesson with the Kings. Now granted they said the Aaron Fox wasn’t the the mal content. It was more so guys like you know Keon Ellis who he was benching some people say for no reason. How does he get into Mau Bridg’s head? Does he try to rah rah rah him to try to show him up in front of the team and try to get in his head? You know these guys ain’t the 90s guys where you could do reverse psychology George Carlish and they they get energized even if they hate you. You know what I’m saying? George Carl freaking told when they drafted Sean Kemp called him and said yo you ain’t you ain’t playing or something like that. You ain’t starting. And Sean Kemp was like what? Sean Kemp took that star job never look back like what you say to me bro? I don’t know if he had that same mindset with MP. Now grant you have a a system around them, but as a coach, that system has to buy in to you, right? We’re still looking for our assistant coaches. We’re still looking for our assistant coaches. We do not have a full staff yet. You’re trying to take hodge podge here, hodge podge there, trying to bring these guys together. Now you’re talking to that assistant coach Weiner out there. Like, bro, what do we I I hope it works. But Gamma Kai Bridge is here. You got him the security. Took the the the deal to try to build this team into a championship contender following under Jaylen Brunson who’s the facto leader. So, y’all better not try to promote his dad. Do no dumb is that makes him angry. He is the leader here. Mike Brown’s connect with Jaylen Brunson. And then I think everybody will follow behind Jaylen Brunson’s word, right? So, these guys got to be on one court. But Ma Bridges, you know, I like the resign. I know people, oh, shut up. Under the first, we’re still under the second apron. Excuse me. Um, we still have some space to play with that that middle level of exception. Shut up. He was going to get paid 30 something 35 million, but the way this NBA is going, calm down. And some of the guys you guys want to trade for, oh, we should have had this guy. We They making an ooze amount of money. And they’re not they don’t they’re not tasked. They’re not asked to do as much as Macau Bridges has to do on both ends of the floor. You got to be shooting 40% from three and you got to run a freaking New York City marathon on both on defense and offense. Oh yeah, you got to defend a team’s best one, two guard, three guard, maybe. Yep. Go out there and execute. What? And you look at the list of players on the on the number of miles ran on offense and defense and it’s like they don’t even match up. Like they’re not both on offense and defense. One is they have one for offense, one for the defense. you don’t see them guys really overlap like that when you look at the top five guys. I got a whole video to talk about that. But Macy Bridges is uh extended. I I’m I’m expecting big things from Macau Bridges next year. Uh and some of the wings you guys want. I mean, you’re going to be asking them to do the same thing that Kyle Bridges do. Anyway, I don’t want to get into that cuz some of the things some of you Nick fans, some of you fans in general have been saying about McCab Bridge, like there’s no context added. Oh, he’s we you know how many winning plays this guy had? the block on shoulder, the block on Vousvik, the gamewinner versus uh the Portland Trailblazers, the plays he had in the playoffs last year to help us beat the Celtics, his play fourth quarter against the Pacers in not all games, but a few games. Like, bro, we we just y got to y got to chill out, man. Knicks fans, we got to be patient, bro. We we we acting like we’ve been there before. We haven’t. A lot of y’all dudes grew up with freaking Jerome James uh ugly ass suits being shown uh on the bench cuz he never played and when he played he was fat and trash. You guys got to chill out, man. Cobers ain’t as bad as you guys make it seem to be. A lot worse players out there that many you guys want to resign. Chill out. Let’s see how he operates in his new offense. Let’s see how what he does on defense with a new defensive coordinator and less a lot less minutes taking off and hopefully they trust him. Like I said, try to imple integrate them into being that that third option. Uh that guy could come in and and give you points alongside Jaylen and Cat when those guys aren’t playing so well or even if they are right or when they’re sitting having that that option off the bench to kind of hold things down in the fourth quarter until Jaylen Brunson comes back, right? Let the ball move around, which Mike Brown has preached about doing. Um so let’s see. But let me know your thoughts. Leave your comments at the end of this video. Uh M Bridges resign. How do you guys feel about it? Are you guys sick to your stomach? Again, guys, I apologize. I couldn’t make this video when it came out. I was literally on the road. When I’m looking, I’m like, “Oh my gosh.” And I didn’t have I didn’t have my computer. I didn’t have anything besides my work computer, which you can’t log on. It’s basically it blocks everything that’s not workrelated. Anything where you can store information about, you can’t do anything. So, I couldn’t do a video. So, apologize for that. But, let me know your thoughts. Leave your likes. Subscribe to the channel. It’s your boy Gleian Nicks. I appreciate you guys, man. Peace. God bless. I catch you guys on the next one.