Unless you're Miles Morales, the Brooklyn Nets trading forward Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks may have been the feel-good transaction of the summer in the NBA.

The Knicks have built their identity on the hard-nosed dominance Villanova demonstrated on the road to national championships in 2016 and 2018—embodied by guards Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. Now, New York has a fourth Wildcat in Bridges.

The trade may have seemed a little too perfect at first glance, but on Monday Nets general manager Sean Marks denied Bridges asked out of Brooklyn.

"(Knicks general manager) Leon (Rose) talked for a couple days on this thing and it moved very, very quickly," Marks said. "You could tell how interested they were in adding Mikal to that group."

The Knicks went 50-32 in 2024, finishing with their best record since 2013. To this foundation they add Bridges, who finished fourth in the voting for Most Improved Player in 2023.

"Mikal didn't know until I called him and told him," Marks said. "I think there's a report that Mikal wanted to leave. That could not be further from the truth. That's just not in Mikal's character; it's not who he is."


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nets GM Sean Marks Says Mikal Bridges Didn't Request Trade to Knicks.