Josh Hart jokes Mikal Bridges was 'traded for five 12th graders' after Knicks beat Nets | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 22: Mikal Bridges #25 and Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks watch during the game against the Boston Celtics on October 22, 2024 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, user agrees to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

After playing his best game of the season in the New York Knicks’ dramatic 124-122 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges was the butt of a joke from teammate Josh Hart.

Hart joked that Bridges was “traded for five 12th graders” when the Knicks acquired him from Brooklyn in the offseason.

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Josh Hart talks about Mikal Bridges’ impact on the game:
“We’re happy for him. He was traded for five 12th graders, so we’re doing well” pic.twitter.com/mTEhjqEDUS

Hart and Bridges are part of the Nova Knicks crew along with Jalen Brunson. They were teammates at Villanova for two seasons from 2015 to ’17 and won a national title in 2016. Brunson and Bridges won a second national title during the 2017-18 season after Hart was drafted into the NBA.

The joke is a reference to the collection of pickaxes the Knicks were sent to Brooklyn in exchange for Bridges, although Hart actually overestimated the rank of the players who will eventually join the Nets.

A 12th grader is a senior in high school, so it will take up to five years for these players to get to the NBA. The Nets will receive unprotected first-round picks every other year from 2025 to 2031, plus a pick swap in 2028.

We’ll have to wait and see how all the picks play out, but it’s theoretically possible that the 2031 first-round pick the Nets will acquire will now be in the seventh grade if they enter the draft as a 19-year-old.

If the Knicks can win a title with Bridges on their roster, no one will care what they traded up to bring him on board.

Bridges is starting to play better after an erratic start to the season. The 28-year-old scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting with five rebounds and four assists in the win over the Nets. He is shooting 53.3 percent from the field in his past three games.