Mikal Bridges brings a certain, undeniable X-Factor to the Knicks. But was it worth it for the Knicks? After all, in trading for Bridges, the Knicks had to give up a lot to cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Nets. Well, after their exit from the Playoffs at the hands of Indiana with the offseason looming, both Mikal Bridges and the Knicks have a decision to make.

See, the 2025 NBA Playoffs weren’t the best showing for Bridges. He averaged 15.6 points in the postseason with a questionable 33.3% shooting from 3-point range. And his lockdown defense? Well, that was gone as Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard popped off in the East’s finals. Put simply, he didn’t look like the player the Knicks traded away a lot of resources for. And Knicks writer for The Athletic, James Edwards, in conversation with Ian Begley, explained how much of a dilemma this situation is for both player and club.

“Does Mikal want to be here? He’s a guy whose role has changed here in New York, right? He was the point of attack defender. Nobody in modern NBA history got hit with more screens per game than he did. Does he like that role? He was the third or fourth option on most nights offensively, but he kind of faced the scrutiny of a star player. Does he like that?” asked Edwards.

See, what makes this confusing for Mikal Bridges is that he’s on the verge of a massive contract extension. $156.1 million per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. So, even if his role’s changed, would he really feel comfortable passing on such an incredible sum? But you must be wondering why this is confusing for the Knicks. After all, this is a trade that hasn’t panned out, so just cut your losses if you’re the Knicks, right? Well, it’s not that cut and dry.

Edwards explained what’s giving the Knicks pause. “The Knicks gave up a lot for him. And I think it would be bad optics if they decided that he’s not worth the extension or anything of that nature,” he explained. And this ties back to the insane number of picks the Knicks traded for Bridges. Four unprotected first-rounders and a pick swap. And so far, it’s not looking like a worthwhile trade if you’re New York.

But these confusing decisions faced by the New York Knicks do explain a report from another ESPN insider, Shams Charania. That’s because he recently came out to reveal how the Knicks are planning to deal with this situation.

Shams Charania reveals front office plans for decisive offseason meeting for the New York Knicks amid Mikal Bridges’ uncertain future

See, despite what it might seem like, this postseason wasn’t that bad for the Knicks. They made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. And they beat the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, to do it. However, the front office in New York, which wanted signings like Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to take them all the way this season, must be feeling shortchanged.

ESPN insider Shams Charania reports that to remedy this situation, the Knicks plan to have internal meetings. And they’re taking the upcoming offseason seriously, like Kobe Bryant locking in for a final quarter. “I’m told the Knicks have internal meetings this week to evaluate everything from the roster, different changes they could make around everything,” said Charania.

But he didn’t stop there. “Tom Thibodeau called it a very important offseason coming up, and this is a team that has won 50 games plus in consecutive seasons for the first time since the early 90s. 4 of his 5 seasons as head coach, they’ve made it to the playoffs. So, it’s been a successful run,” he said.

Now, we don’t know what decision these meetings will yield. But if what Shams says about everything being up for discussion is true, well, Mikal Bridges’ future will probably hinge on these meetings. And this means the upcoming offseason will be pivotal for you, Knicks fans. But what do you think? Do you want Bridges to stay in New York? Or would you prefer your franchise parting ways with him and signing another player who’s a better fit?