Mikal Bridges Has Nothing Left To Prove + Deuce McBride's Insane Value
July 29, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readMikal Bridges made $33.5 million last season. Alex Caruso made $19.5 million. Jaden McDaniels made $26 million. On the Locked On Knicks podcast, host Gavin Shaw argues that Bridges is not the most valuable fourth-best player in the NBA relative to his contract—he ranks him third at that slot. But the argument is not about talent. It is about how the Knicks constructed a roster where their fourth option is a 30-point-per-game playoff scorer who has never missed an NBA game, and what that means for the team's ceiling.
The central question of the episode is straightforward: which players in the NBA provide the most value as the fourth, fifth, and sixth best players on their teams, measured against what they are paid? Shaw runs through a self-devised ranking system, analogous to Bill Simmons' trade value column but stripped of sentimentality and focused purely on current ability and contract terms. The exercise is meant to surface the league's best bargains and most overpaid supporting pieces, and it inevitably becomes a case study in how the Knicks have stacked their roster.
Why Mikal Bridges Is Third, Not First
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What you'll learn
- 1 (04:18) **Mikal Bridges vs. Jaden McDaniels: The Case for Fourth-Option Value** - Gavin ranks Mikal Bridges as the second-best fourth-option contract in the NBA, explaining why he places Jaden McDaniels (#1) and Alex Caruso (#2) ahead of him.
- 2 (07:01) **Bridges' Finals Heroics and the "Killer" Stamp** - Gavin highlights specific moments from the NBA Finals that cement Bridges' value, arguing he has "nothing left to prove."
- 3 (13:02) **Peyton Pritchard: The Best Bargain on the List?** - Gavin argues Pritchard deserves consideration for a higher rank because his contract is one of the league's best.
- 4 (14:03) **Colin Murray-Boyles: Defensive Genius on a Rookie Deal** - Gavin ranks the rookie fifth, praising his elite switchability and defensive impact despite a broken jumpshot.
- 5 (15:30) **Andrew Nembhard: The Playoff Riser** - Gavin notes Nembhard’s contract is a fantastic value for a player who becomes "borderline great" in the postseason.
- 6 (15:48) **Joel Embiid’s Albatross vs. Moussa Diabate’s Steal** - Gavin contrasts Embiid’s $58M salary (a potential negative value) with Diabate’s minimum-level deal, calling it a fascinating comparison.
- 7 (17:51) **VJ Edgecomb: Future All-Star on a Rookie Deal** - Gavin praises the Sixers rookie’s incredible playoff impact, citing a +41.8 net rating.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
New York Knicks secure an edge with Mikal Bridges’ elite contract value while Deuce McBride stands out as a true NBA bargain—how much longer can they keep this dynamic roster together?
Gavin Schall ranks the league’s most valuable contracts for key rotation players, spotlighting Mikal Bridges’ postseason impact, Josh Hart’s rise as a top fifth option, and Deuce McBride’s growth as a premier sixth man. The analysis features breakdowns of Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, and other standouts like Payton Pritchard, Collin Murray-Boyles, Joel Embiid, and Isaiah Hartenstein, with insights into playoff performance, on-ball defense, impact metrics, and roster construction. Plus, hear how contract structure could impact the Knicks’ long-term competitiveness and which NBA teams might pose the toughest matchups next season.
Can the Knicks’ all-in approach and high-value contracts propel another championship run? Don’t miss this power ranking of contract steals and playoff risers.
Timestamps
00:00 Analyzing NBA player contract value
06:10 Clutch performances in crucial games
08:04 Mikal Bridges Stepped Up
11:28 Evaluating NBA player contracts
13:37 Evaluating Andrew Nembhard's Contract
18:41 Isaiah Hartenstein's defensive impact
20:09 Discussing Josh Hart's playoff impact
25:27 Knicks' draft and player analysis
26:47 Evaluating Spurs and Pistons Players
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