Mikal Bridges chose to focus on the positives when asked about his first matchup versus his former team, the Brooklyn Nets.

The Knicks landed Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster deal last summer that sent shockwaves across the NBA. Whether or not he actually forced his way out of Brooklyn, as some reported, is anyone’s guess. The move was designed to further bolster New York’s championship odds.

The blockbuster trade that sent Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn to Broadway for five first-round draft picks, a second-rounder and a first-round pick swap felt like a seismic move that said a lot about the directions the two franchises were headed. The Knicks were going for it. The Nets were rebuilding again.

Did the New York Knicks overpay when they traded for SF Mikal Bridges? He is averaging (15.3) points per game in nine starts.

Bridges was traded from Brooklyn to Manhattan during the offseason in the first deal between the teams since 1983. The Nets received a major haul in return, with six draft picks as the centerpiece of the trade.