Just In: The Knicks have just made a couple of critical moves in order to pull off the Mikal Bridges trade and keep…..

The New York Knicks are expected to finalize the trade for Mikal Bridges with the Brooklyn Nets at the earliest opportunity. Thanks to certain strategic maneuvers, New York was able to secure the financial feasibility of acquiring another Villanova standout and a highly skilled starter. The decision will undoubtedly pay dividends.

With the addition of Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, and Keita Bates-Diop from Brooklyn, the Knicks were able to make the move without being limited to just one position (and they also gained a great depth piece in KBD). Without trading Miles McBride, a crucial bench player, they were able to reduce money. Not only did they get more players in the trade, but they also signed their first-round draft choice from last month, which helped them save money.

Pacome Dadiet, a first-round pick, signed with the Knicks for less money than originally thought. The athletic’s Fred Katz reports that the young French talent will sign a deal with New York worth $904,000 less than the hard cap of the first season, which is 80 percent of the rookie scale (the lowest possible rookie contract). Over the course of his rookie contract’s four years, Dadiet will earn just over $1.8 million, for a total value of just under $9.3 million.

To release Dadiet from his contract and make room for the 2024 NBA Draft’s 25th overall selection, the Knicks paid the German team Ratiopharm Ulm $850,000. Despite his promising shooting touch and potential as an NBA wing, 6-foot-9 forward Dadiet is still very raw and will probably need a few more years of development before he can handle significant playing time. He will be 19 later in July.