The New York Knicks staked multiple future first-round picks to land two-way star Mikal Bridges recently. Many Knicks fans believe that Bridges could be the answer for their five-decade-long championship drought. Former Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony also gave his two cents about the Bridges acquisition recently, delving into the situation in New York.
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2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala joined Melo on his 7 PM in Brooklyn pod during the latest episode, where the two discussed how Mikal Bridges’ arrival would impact the Knicks’ existing dynamics, especially putting Julius Randle’s role under the scanner.
While both the former NBA athletes acknowledged Bridges’ top-notch skillset, they pointed to the hard choices that the Knicks management would have to make after his arrival. The duo agreed that the franchise may have to remove OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein from the starting lineup despite their incredible 2023-24 campaigns.
However, Knicks could find a way to keep both these athletes. But then will have to part ways with Julius Randle, who has been instrumental in their ascension in the past few seasons. If the team chooses to start Randle then they may have to either send Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Hart to the bench.
However, they can also put Julius Randle at the Center position to employ a small-ball scheme. Alluding to the Knicks’ multiple quandaries, Melo wondered,
“Do we want to play small, do we want to put Julius at the five and roll with that? But do we put the four with Mitchell and roll with that? It’s either you can keep one out of three or you can keep two out of three. You can keep Julius and let everyone go or you can keep those two and let everybody else go.”
Anthony acknowledged that Julius Randle has the talent to become a starting-level Center. On the contrary, Iguodala wondered if Randle would be able to ensure the smooth flow of the Knicks offense. He highlighted how the Knicks’ offense looked better when Randle was injured during the 2023-24 season. Thus, there can be a possibility that the franchise may look in a different direction.
To Iggy’s point, the Forward does have the tendency to be a ball-stopper for iso sets, which can disrupt the team’s passing game. But Randle also led the Knicks to a 29-17 record before he got injured. Without him, they lost 15 out of their 36 games and if not for a late burst, they would have not made it to the second spot in the East.
At any rate, the Knicks Front Office has their work cut for the remainder of the offseason. It is unlikely that OG Anunoby would return to the team because his two-way Wing skillset can take a backseat to Mikal Bridges’ talent. After having proved himself last season, Anunoby is seeking a bigger role alongside a long-term deal.
Therefore, both Melo and Iggy agreed that there have to be some tough decisions being made.
