Mikal Bridges has spent his second go-around with the New York Knicks under a harsh spotlight, and not for the reasons the team expected when it paid a premium for him two summers ago. The 29-year-old has drawn heavy criticism in 2025-26 for highly inconsistent shooting and painful scoring struggles.
Bridges played in 83 games this season, only the second time in his career he has reached that mark, but the durability did not translate into the kind of impact New York needed. He averaged 14.4 points per game, his lowest scoring average since the 2021-22 season, and committed the most personal fouls since his sophomore season.
The final stretch was even harder to ignore. Over his last 19 games, Bridges averaged 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 31.7 percent from deep, numbers that kept him at the center of the criticism rather than easing it. For a player the Knicks acquired at a high price, that kind of late-season slide has fueled the sense that the fit has not yet lived up to the investment.
That is part of why the noise around Bridges has grown louder. 's Stephen A. Smith said the acquisition has the potential to go down as “an absolutely horrific trade,” a line that captures how far the conversation has shifted from promise to pressure. Some around the league have even floated Bridges as a key piece in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, which only adds to the uncertainty around where he fits next.
The playoffs now offer Bridges a chance to change the story, and they may also decide how much patience the Knicks have left. If he finds his shot and steadies his production, the trade criticism can still be softened. If not, the scrutiny that followed him through the regular season is likely to follow him deep into the spring.
