The New York Knicks are currently situated as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 47-27 record, but their failure to notch wins against elite competition have tanked expectations for the group heading into the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
New York’s ranking as the league’s No. 13 team defense (113.4 defensive rating) is also an unexpected result for a unit led by Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges on a nightly basis.
Unfortunately for the latter of the trio, Bridges’ evident regression on defense could lead to placement on the team’s trade block this summer.
In his debut season with the club, the 28-year-old wing’s horrid -1.0 defensive box plus-minus figure may quickly spell the conclusion of his tenure with the franchise.
On the bright side, the Knicks possess the league’s No. 5 offense (117.6 offensive rating) and could initiate a rebrand from a staunch defensive team to a high-octane offensive juggernaut next season.
With Bridges’ possible departure looming, it’s plausible that the Knicks’ front office may contact the Los Angeles Clippers to hash out the details of a major deal that sends him out along with possible draft capital in exchange for a surging fringe All-Star scorer, Norman Powell.
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In a hypothetical defense-for-offense swap, New York would land one of the league’s most reliable and efficient scorers on high volume.
The 31-year-old Powell has exploded as a member of the Clippers this season by contributing 22.6 points and 3.3 rebounds while knocking down an unreal 42.5% of his 7.4 attempts from distance in 53 appearances.
Powell’s career 39.9% shooting clip from three-point range and fantastic one-on-one shot creation could certainly help vault the Knicks to true title contender status, and the 2019 NBA champion’s playoff experience would serve the team well if they were to earn a guaranteed 2026 postseason berth.
Though New York might miss Bridges’ presence as a rangy wing at times if this fantasy were to be made a reality, Powell’s automatic jump-shot and respectable career 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions would help to ease any concerns.
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