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The New York Knicks still have a chance at a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but it would require rumors on a new team in the mix to be true.
Recent reports have indicated that the New York Knicks are interested in trading for Portland Trail Blazers veteran guard Jrue Holiday. One obvious reason for this is Holiday’s track record of being the missing piece that puts contenders over the top. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics won NBA Championships after falling short many years and acquiring Holiday to change their fortunes.
However, another reason is that Holiday has a good relationship with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who the Knicks would love to acquire. New York reporter Ian Begley revealed that teams around the league believe Giannis wants to reunite with Holiday:
“I do know the idea is from teams interested in Giannis, the idea is Giannis would enjoy playing with Jrue Holiday again. They won a title together in Milwaukee. So, trading for Jrue makes you more enticing for Giannis if he can finagle his way to a certain destination.”
The Knicks being active in the Holiday trade would see them having to give up one of their rotation players, but the long game would see them back in the Giannis sweepstakes if he demands a trade. New York lacks young assets or many future draft assets, so they must hope that Antetokounmpo forces his way there.
Knicks Considered Favorites For Giannis Antetokounmpo
The confusing season of Antetokounmpo has seen him claiming he’ll never request a trade, despite also saying he’s unsure what his future holds. Multiple comments criticizing his Bucks teammates and now missing more time with an injury see the trade talks picking back up as a major NBA story.
Many teams and pundits around the league believe that Giannis will be traded by the upcoming offseason. Milwaukee still holds the same belief that they’ll only move Antetokounmpo if he requests a trade. Bucks’ management is fearful of trading a franchise GOAT and would choose to keep him every time.
Past reports indicated that Antetokounmpo privately told Milwaukee that he wanted to be traded to the Knicks during the offseason before the Bucks changed his mind to stay longer. More losing means a greater chance of a trade, and New York is currently missing another big piece to truly contend for a title.
Other Teams Want Jrue For Giannis
Begley’s report confirmed the elephant in the room of the Knicks still wanting Antetokounmpo and making other moves to set it up. However, he also listed that other teams interested in Giannis feel the same way about trading for Holiday.
Portland could opt to keep Holiday and try their luck in the play-in race this season to reward their roster for overachieving through head coach Chauncey Billups’ gambling scandal. However, logic would dictate a rebuilding team trades a veteran for future assets.
Teams like the Miami Heat or Golden State Warriors have shown interest in Antetokounmpo to make them relevant to this topic. The Trail Blazers could use this to get the best offer from multiple teams hoping to land Holiday and set themselves up for the potential trade Giannis sweepstakes in the offseason.