Head-coaching change may have sealed Knicks star's extension

The Knicks traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets last summer to acquire Bridges, who averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season as his team reached the Eastern Conference Finals. He also led the NBA in minutes, a testament to the toughness of a player who hasn't missed a single game of his NBA or college careers.

But playing over 3,000 minutes didn't necessarily sit well with Bridges, who clashed with Tom Thibodeau in March over the head coach's refusal to limit his starters' minutes and play reserves. Bridges' teammate Josh Hart was second in the NBA in minutes, OG Anunoby was fifth in minutes per game and all five Knicks starters finished in the top 20 in that category.

Thibodeau was unsympathetic to Bridges, telling reporters, "Your wings play more. They're matched up against primary players." Never mind that no other wings played as much as Bridges and the other Knicks.

But Bridges had far more leverage with the Knicks than his coach did. The team gave up a massive haul for the 28-year-old small forward. Bridges had only one year left on his contract and could have become a free agent if the Knicks didn't give him an extension. Now Bridges is locked in for at least the next four seasons — he has a player option for 2029-30 — on a deal that appears to be $6M cheaper than his possible four-year, $156M maximum extension.

New head coach Mike Brown is likely to give Bridges more rest while also getting him more involved in the Knicks offense, one that relied heavily on isolation plays. That approach minimized Bridges' off-ball skills and solid passing, as well as cutting his three-point shooting opportunities.

Would Bridges have extended anyway to stay with his Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Hart? Maybe, but the Knicks didn't take that risk. Now they've locked in one of their core players at a discount, even if they still owe their old coach $30M. In the player-driven NBA, that's the cost of doing business.