Following a dizzying few weeks of trade rumors after giving the green light for talks to commence, Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of the 2025-26 season, per multiple reports on Thursday, just hours before the NBA’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
With it, the playing field has leveled for the New York Knicks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors were seen as initial pre-trade-deadline favorites, considering they had more draft capital and young assets to build a mega-deal for the two-time MVP.
Now with Antetokounmpo not available again until the summer, the Knicks will have two tradeable first-round draft picks that they can use to sweeten the pot of a deal. They currently don’t have any during the season.
It also gives team brass ample time to decipher whether or not they actually have to put together a blockbuster of a deal for the nine-time All-Star. Reports in recent days have suggested that owner James Dolan and team president Leon Rose want to give the rest of this season to the current core in place.
They bolstered their ranks on Thursday afternoon by acquiring defensive specialist and high-energy point guard Jose Alvarado to back up Jalen Brunson, which became a necessity after it was learned that Miles McBride needs sports hernia surgery and will miss significant time.
If the Knicks can’t take it a step further than last year, when they fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Antetokounmpo to New York may become more of a necessity to the front office.
Currently sidelined by a calf injury, the superstar big man is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game this season.
