Knicks Built NBA Finals Core Through $104 Million Brunson Deal and 5 First-Round Pick Bridges Trade
Updated
Updated · New York Post · Jun 3
Knicks Built NBA Finals Core Through $104 Million Brunson Deal and 5 First-Round Pick Bridges Trade
3 articles · Updated · New York Post · Jun 3
Summary
New York reached the NBA Finals with a roster built largely outside the draft, led by Jalen Brunson’s 2022 free-agent signing and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 2024 arrival as the offensive complement.
Brunson’s four-year, $104 million deal became the franchise’s best bargain as he averaged 26.3 points, while Towns added 22.2 points and 12.3 rebounds across two Knicks seasons.
Leon Rose’s trade-heavy buildout also brought in OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, with Bridges costing five first-round picks before helping fuel an 11-game winning streak on 62.6% shooting.
Depth pieces rounded out the Finals run: Miles McBride outperformed a three-year, $13 million extension, Mitchell Robinson stayed healthy for a career-high 73 combined games, and buyout or minimum additions like Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado filled bench needs.
The approach sets up a 1999 NBA Finals rematch with San Antonio, whose contender revival came mainly through maximizing draft capital rather than the Knicks’ trade-and-free-agency model.