"I have a group chat with Mikal, Josh, Jalen": Tyrese Haliburton comically calls for tampering violation on Mikal Bridges' trade 

Tyrese Haliburton joked that Knicks' duo Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are guilty of tampering in Mikal Bridges' trade to New York. Brunson, Hart and Bridges were also teammates at Villanova. Brunson and Hart have often joked about recruiting their close friend to New York after he spent the last season and a half with Knicks' cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Nets.

With the unexpected blockbuster trade going down, many believed Brunson and Hart had a role to play in the move. Haliburton jokingly claimed the same in an appearance on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

"I have a group chat with those guys—me, Mikal, Josh & Jalen—so if there’s ever some tampering evidence needed, I’m the guy to come to."

Haliburton had a tremendous battle with the Knicks in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. He came out on top after leading the Pacers to a conference semis win in seven games. The rivalry may have overshadowed the fact that he has a great relationship with some Knicks players, mainly Brunson and Hart.

The trio played together on Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Mikal Bridges was also on the team.

While Indiana won in the playoffs this year, with Bridges now on the Knicks, the Pacers may not have an equal chance if the teams are healthy in a potential playoff series next year.

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Bam Adebayo also joked about Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson tampering in Mikal Bridges' trade

The NBA community is well aware of the Knicks' Villanova quartet's close bond. As soon as Mikal Bridges' trade to the Knicks was announced, Bam Adebayo poked fun at Knicks duo Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson for tampering.

"y’all was tampering!" Adebayo tweeted.

Hart was quick to respond to Adebayo. He didn't deny the comical claim, saying he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

"Let us celebrate in peace!" Hart wrote.

There were rumors that Mikal Bridges leveraged his way into a trade with the Knicks. SNY TV's Ian Begley reported that Bridges' camp was telling his potential suitors he only wanted to play for the Knicks, forcing Brooklyn to eventually approve the blockbuster trade in which they received a massive haul.

However, Bridges denied those reports.

"And yall mfs really think i got pull like that lol please be fr"

As natural as the tampering allegations seem to be, they might not be true at all. While there was obvious interest among the former Villanova teammates to link up, there were legitimate basketball reasons why the Knicks made the trade.

They added another versatile two-way wing to their team, which already boasts Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. As seen with the defending champions Boston Celtics, teams with wings who can defend and score at a high level make a tremendous difference, and that's the blueprint the Knicks followed.

They had the haul to bolster Brooklyn's rebuild, so it seemed like a win-win situation for the rivals.