The New York Knicks have had a pretty busy last few days. The Knicks extended Mikal Bridges’ contract a few days ago. Now, there are rumors surrounding James Nnaji and Mike Brown‘s search for an assistant coach.
Knicks Rumors: Mikal Bridges, James Nnaji, and Assistant Coach Search
As expected, the Knicks and Bridges worked out a massive extension shortly after the 28-year-old became eligible to sign one. Bridges inked a four-year, $150 million and one dollar extension on August 1. He will earn $37.5 million in each season, starting in 2026-27, through 2029-30, with the last season being a player option.
With the extension, Bridges — the archetypal 3-and-D wing — will see a substantial increase in his salary. Bridges is earning $24.9 million this upcoming season, so that equates to a $12.6 million bump starting in 2026-27. However, there is a belief around the league that Bridges left money on the table as his new deal is $6 million per season less than the max.
“Prior to this agreement, some league executives who spoke to The Athletic thought Bridges, given his history of never missing games, might play next season on an expiring contract and attempt to get closer to $200 million on the open market next summer. ” — Fred Katz and James L. Edwards of The Athletic wrote.
Why Bridges Was Given a Huge Extension
Bridges had an excellent season in his first year with the Knicks. Bridges was pretty consistent as well offensively, producing 14 points a contest in all seven months of the season. However, he did struggle during the Knicks’ postseason run.
Bridges averaged 17.6 points and a career-high 3.7 assists this past season. The archetype 3-and-D wing also knocked down a pair of three-pointers at a 35.4% clip. He produced one double-double while also defending the opponent’s top offensive perimeter player.
“His abilities on both sides of the court in every game made him a vital part of our team’s success last season,” team president Leon Rose said of Bridges. “We look forward to his continued growth and development as part of the Knicks family for years to come.”
Bridges will be counted on along with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby — all four players acquired in trades over the last few seasons — to lead New York to the next step. The Knicks’ 51 victories this past season were their most in over a decade, and they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
While the Knicks still have roster work to do this season, with one or two open spots on the 15-man roster, their future has gained a little more clarity. Bridges, Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Miles “Deuce” McBride are under contract for the next two seasons.
Knicks Future Salary Cap
New York is hard-capped at the second apron this season while needing to add two players to their 15-man roster. The Knicks are hard-capped at the second apron, where they are under $3 million below the limit. They can add a veteran on a minimum contract and a rookie.
Here is the problem: with the Knicks’ six core players under contract, they project to be in the same position as Boston was this summer and Cleveland figures to be next year, which is in trouble with the salary cap. The Knicks have nine players under contract for 2026-27 with salaries totaling $210.75 million, meaning they are just a little more than $11.7 million below the second apron.
Therefore, the Knicks would either have to deal one of their core players or be a projected second-round team next season. Mitchell Robinson is slated to be a free agent next summer, while Guerschon Yabusele has a player’s option.
The Knicks’ cap situation forecast is even worse in 2027-28. The Knicks project to have seven players under contract in the summer of 2027 with a salary cap hit of $214.7 million, putting them $6.4 million under the luxury tax.
As a result of their recent trades, New York has just six of their own draft picks. The Knicks have their own first-round selection in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032. Brooklyn has the right to swap their first-round pick with the Knicks in 2028. They also have their 2027 and 2032 second-round picks.
James Nnaji, Joining The Knicks?
According to the Spanish Club Barcelona, Nnaji has opted out of his deal. Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in 2023, had an option to leave Barcelona before the agreement ended. The 23-year-old center is now a free agent.
While Nnaji’s exit means he won’t play for Barcelona, it doesn’t mean the 20-year-old center is headed to the NBA. However, Johnny Askounis reported to Eurohoops that his attention was on exploring his NBA options.
Nnaji is an athletic, wide-body post player. The 6-11, 250-pound center has demonstrated the ability to be highly efficient, yet very limited, offensively during his international and summer league campaigns. He is also an outstanding rebounder and rim-protector. Turnovers and defense are issues.
Nnaji played for the Knicks’ Las Vegas summer league squad in July. Nnaji saw limited time overall, with his best outing being the final contest, where he tallied four points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Overall, Naji produced 3.2 points, 3.6 boards while shooting 100% from the field (5 of 5), though he just made 54.5% of his free throw attempts.
This is an excellent time for Nnaji to come over for the Knicks as they need to fill out their roster. New York has two open standard contracts available and up to two 2-way deals available. Depending on the ultimate status of Mo Diawara and whether Kevin McCullar Jr. signs his qualifying offer.
Filling Out Mike Brown’s Staff
Brown has been busy working out his coaching staff. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post previously reported that Brown wasn’t bringing back four of Tom Thibodeau‘s assistants. Brown had filled two of those spots with Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois, both of whom worked under Brown in Sacramento.
Rick Brunson, a former NBA point guard and Jalen Brunson’s dad, along with newly hired defensive coordinator Brendan O’Connor, is expected to fill two of the Brown’s front-of-bench seats, per NBA Insider Marc Stein.
According to Frank Isola of The New York Post earlier today, Charlotte Hornets assistant Chris Jent has emerged as the leading candidate to join Brown’s staff as offensive coordinator. Jent has been an assistant coach since 2003-04 and led the Hornets to the Las Vegas summer league title in 2025. The 55-year-old appeared in six NBA games, including three for the Knicks during the 1996-97 campaign.
The New York Post’s Ian Begley added that the Knicks have also been in contact with Indiana assistant Mike Weinar for a spot on the bench. Greg St. Jean from the Los Angeles Lakers and Patrick Mutombo from the Memphis Grizzlies are also reportedly candidates.
Photo Credit: © Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
The post Knicks Rumors: Mikal Bridges, Future Cap Issues, James Nnaji, and Assistant Coach Search appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.