The Knicks “were in position to get Giannis [Antetokounmpo” this summer “and they didn’t get him,” according to ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst.
The question is why?
Windhorst suggested it’s possible the Knicks “didn’t offer enough because they believe in this team,” adding, “which is a totally acceptable answer.”
“The Knicks could’ve had Giannis under a certain set of circumstances,” he said on ESPN.
The discussions this summer between the Knicks and Bucks were first reported earlier this month by ESPN’s Shams Charania:
The Bucks picked up the Knicks’ call on Antetokounmpo, and the sides engaged in conversations for a window of time in August, league sources said, but the teams never got traction on a deal.
The Bucks insisted to the Knicks that they preferred not to move Antetokounmpo, but those in Milwaukee believe New York did not make a strong enough offer to continue even discussing a trade, league sources said. It’s unclear how the Bucks would have responded to an all-out chase by the Knicks. The multiweek process was described by one source with direct knowledge of the talks as an exclusive negotiating window. New York, for its part, believes the Bucks never were serious about entertaining an Antetokounmpo trade, sources said.
The talks reportedly took place after the Knicks agreed to sign Mikal Bridges to an extension. But Bridges is not eligible to be traded until Feb. 1, 2026, per SNY’s Ian Begley.
Antetokounmpo will make about $54 million this season and on Oct. 1, 2026 he becomes eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through 2030-31, per ESPN.
Karl-Anthony Towns is set to make $53.1 million this season, so the Knicks would’ve had to add someone or something to the deal to make it an even swap for the two big men.
One NBA executive told NJ Advance Media of the Knicks’ offer:
“Whatever it was, I’m sure it didn’t even come close to making a deal for a 2-time MVP.”
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