The New York Knicks added yet another alumni from the championship-winning 2016 Villanova Wildcats team on Tuesday night, agreeing to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets for star forward Mikal Bridges. And as you may expect, this was music to the ears of the other Knicks players that were on that 2016 roster.
The trio of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo have become beloved by Knicks fans after an extremely impressive postseason for all three. Brunson and DiVincenzo led the Knicks in scoring throughout the postseason, and Hart was the only player on the roster to average a double-double in the playoffs.
It seems like the trio is destined to essentially be the face of the organization for years to come. And now, Mikal Bridges will be joining the mix after the Knicks parted ways with seven draft picks, including four future unprotected first-round picks, along with Bojan Bogdanovic.
Shortly after the deal was announced, Josh Hart took to social media to share an image of a FaceTime call he was on along with DiVincenzo, Brunson, and Bridges.
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 26, 2024
Naturally, Knicks fans were quite happy to see that Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart welcomed in Bridges with open arms.
I didn’t think i could love a team any more lol https://t.co/yvSYCxG7bc
— Kazeem Famuyide 🇳🇬 🍎 (@Kazeem) June 26, 2024
This is literally the dream bro imagine your whole friend group ending up on the same team IN NEW YORK CITY 😭 https://t.co/1W7wMqxXW5
— Rishi Oza (@RishOza_) June 26, 2024
Can’t even imagine the feeling of getting to star on the same team with 3 of your friends from college that you already won a championship with. Amazing. #Knicks https://t.co/LJc1exhFNs
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) June 26, 2024
Hang it in the louvre.
Brunson
Bridges
Hart
DonteKnicks are gonna be so fun. https://t.co/sqBRkCCeW2
— Jake Brown (@JakeBrownRadio) June 26, 2024
In the NBA, there are always debates about which team is the most talented. But team chemistry also plays a big part in team success, even at the highest level.
At this point, it’s hard to argue that the Knicks don’t have the most team chemistry of any team in the NBA after acquiring Bridges, which could go a long way in the organization improving on their second-round exit this past season.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.