Mikal Bridges carries Knicks price tag he never asked for

Kevin Durant. James Harden. Paul George. Rudy Gobert. Mikal Bridges. Desmond Bane.

Complete stop.

These are the players in recent memory who have commanded the kind of recruiting capital that reshapes franchises — the kind of seismic movement that mortgages a future and, in turn, sets expectations normally reserved for franchise superstars.

It’s a pressure Bridges understands well after the Knicks sent five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets two summers ago.

And as history has shown, it is almost impossible to meet this cost.

• The Phoenix Suns, for example, moved Bridges, Cam Johnson and four future starting players for Durant – only to then reverse the package again for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and five linebackers.
• The Nets gutted their roster and sent three first-round picks for what amounted to an 80-game rental of Harden before dealing him to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and less draft compensation.
• The Clippers shipped reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and first five for George, then observed his regression and eventual departure.
• The Timberwolves sent four first-rounders and five players for Gobert – arguably the most successful outcome of the bunch, but one that remains a debated decision across the league.

Now add Bridges and the Knicks – and Bane and the Magic – to that same conversation.

The difference? Orlando’s injuries cloud Bane’s assessment. New York’s expectations don’t cloud those of Bridges.

The trade cost the Knicks flexibility — specifically a cleaner path to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo — while leaving Bridges evaluated through a superstar lens and increased pressure and scrutiny he’s never played under before.

The inconsistency appears especially in attack. He scored nine points in Thursday’s 15-point loss to a Detroit Pistons team that was missing both centers. Defensively, the reputation wasn’t up to par on a nightly basis either: Cade Cunningham scored 42 points with Bridges as the primary defender.

But Bridges didn’t choose the price.

Sean Marks did it. The Nets extracted picks. The Knicks paid them. The bridges have inherited the weight.

He remains what he’s always been – an elite complementary two-way wing – now measured against the franchise’s core expectations.

“I guess [he does have high expectations given the outgoing draft picks]. In the end, Kal will do what he has to do. He’s going to find his way,” Josh Hart said. “Like I said, I think there are times where we can do a better job of making sure he’s involved offensively and aggressively and putting him in his place, same thing with OG. [Anunoby[ and JC [Jordan Clarkson] when he plays – someone like him who can score, we need to make sure we put him in a position to succeed and not just do it in the offensive flow.

In the locker room, the Knicks don’t notice it game after game. These are scoring moments.

Because Bridges is already making the type of play that justified the acquisition — squeezing Cunningham on a Game 6 kill in the playoffs, then making a decisive defensive stop on Jaylen Brown to end Boston’s season in the second round.

That’s the bet. Especially against a Detroit team now 3-0 against New York this season with an average margin of victory of 28 points.

Maybe the Knicks traded five picks for Bridges in hopes of him becoming a superstar. Maybe they were okay with that decision because they saw him as the final piece of a championship contender.

Somehow those choices disappeared. They are now a distant memory and are now part of the Nets’ future. These picks will also be forgotten in New York if Bridges rises to the occasion again in the playoffs.

“With Kal, I’ll let you figure it out. We know what we have in him. We know what he means to the team,” Hart said. “And the beautiful thing about him is he can have a terrible game all game long and make a game-winning play, and I think he’s done that – I wouldn’t say a terrible game – but he’s done it plenty of times, making game-winning plays late in the game when we need him. That’s why we got him.”