If Giannis Antetokounmpo is not playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, he wants to play for the New York Knicks, that has become clear.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Knicks and Bucks engaged in trade talks regarding the superstar big man in August, though no traction was made. This came amid rampant speculation about Antokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee and his uncertainty in the franchise’s direction.
Charania noted that New York was “the only place” outside of Milwaukee that the 2021 NBA champion and two-time MVP would want to play, though Bucks management reportedly made it known that they were unwilling to move their star. Others contend that the package the Knicks offered simply wasn’t good enough.
The latter hypothetical seems like the more realistic happening. The Knicks extended Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $150 million deal in August, meaning he is ineligible to be traded until February.
He and Karl-Anthony Towns are perceived to be the only established NBA veterans that could headline a deal for Antetokounmpo. The draft capital did not sweeten the pot much, either. The Knicks only have one first-rounder, three pick swaps, and eight second-rounders to work with on the trade market.
This is not to say that the Bucks are out of the woods yet on potentially trading arguably their greatest player ever outside of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They have done all they can to retool their roster toward contention, specifically the waive-and-stretch of Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner.
But if Milwaukee sputters out of the gates, the likelihood of Antetokounmpo demanding a trade increases. The 30-year-old has publicly expressed his desire to win another championship and, on paper, the Knicks appear much closer than the Bucks.
New York made its first Eastern Conference in 25 years but fell to the Indiana Pacers in six games. It led to the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was replaced by veteran bench boss Mike Brown. The roster’s depth was addressed this summer, but the core remains unchanged. Dealing for Antetokounmpo would drastically change that, but it would make the Knicks that much more formidable moving forward.
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