Jay Wright has one more reason to root for the New York Knicks, who added another Villanova alum when acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
Following Tuesday’s trade, Bridges reunites with former Wildcats teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. All four won a national championship playing for Wright in 2016, and everyone besides Hart collected another title two years later.
The former Villanova head coach, who now serves as President Rev. Peter M. Donohue’s special assistant, is happy to see his former players reunite in New York.
“Boys are blessed to be together,” Wright wrote on Wednesday morning. “No one ever gets this opportunity in the
NBA. A lot of work to do!! Let’s go!!”
Although the preexisting Villanova trio fell short of steering the Knicks to a championship, the franchise reached 50 wins for the first time in over a decade.
Brunson blossomed into a full-fledged superstar, averaging 28.7 points during the regular season and scoring at least 40 points in four straight playoff games. DiVincenzo made the third-most three-pointers behind Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic, and Hart averaged 8.3 rebounds while playing tenacious defense and missing just one game.
The Knicks are gambling on their former college teammate being the missing ingredient to title contention. New York moved four unprotected first-round picks, a protected 2025 first, and an unprotected pick swap in 2028 for Bridges.
He took a step back from his star-making arrival in Brooklyn, but the multi-faceted wing registered 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists without missing a game last season. Bridges called it “crazy” to play alongside his former college teammates again.
Related: New York Knicks Make Blockbuster Trade For Former First-Round Pick