New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defended by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks gets the loose ball before Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 08, 2024 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks gained early insight last summer into what the Milwaukee Bucks would likely demand in any trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That understanding helps explain why talks during New York’s exclusive negotiating window in August, which ESPN reported, failed to gain traction — and why the path to a blockbuster deal remains complicated even as Antetokounmpo’s availability becomes clearer.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks have now formally set a steep threshold for trading their franchise star, one befitting a two-time NBA MVP who delivered Milwaukee its first championship in 50 years and remains in his prime.
“Multiple teams have received a sense that the Bucks are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline,” Charania reported Wednesday. “However, Milwaukee has indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to complete a move and is willing to navigate Antetokounmpo’s future in the offseason if its believed price point of a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks isn’t met.”
With just over a week remaining before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Milwaukee’s stance has clarified the market — and the Knicks’ current limitations.
Knicks Lack Immediate Trade Assets
As presently constructed, New York does not possess the combination of elite young talent and draft surplus Milwaukee is seeking, lending context to why no deal materialized last summer despite mutual interest.
They only have a top-8-protected first-round pick from the Washington Wizards, which is projected to convey into two second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.
The Knicks’ roster has been built deliberately around continuity and flexibility, but that approach has left them short of the blue-chip centerpiece typically required to headline a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
Still, the situation is not without intrigue for New York.
Knicks Remain a Preferred Destination
Antetokounmpo named the Knicks as his preferred landing spot last offseason, a factor that continues to hover over the league’s trade landscape even as Milwaukee controls the process.
That preference alone does not close the asset gap — but it could shape how a deal ultimately unfolds if Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee tenure ends.
Portland Emerges as Potential Third-Team Facilitator
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Portland Trail Blazers have quietly emerged as a team to monitor in any future Antetokounmpo scenario involving New York.
Fischer explained in The Stein Line that Portland holds unusual leverage due to its control of several future Bucks draft picks — a byproduct of the Jrue Holiday–Damian Lillard trade.
“Something to file away: Portland is definitely a team to track here when it comes to eventual Antetokounmpo outcomes,” Fischer wrote last week.
Portland controls Milwaukee’s draft capital in 2028, 2029 and 2030, positioning the Blazers as a potential intermediary capable of returning those picks to the Bucks as part of a larger, multi-team deal.
“And I’m told Blazers officials have always viewed Antetokounmpo’s potential Milwaukee exit as a chance to improve their own roster by jumping into a multi-team deal,” Fischer added.
Mikal Bridges’ Name Enters the Equation
Giannis trade, Giannis to Knicks, Mikal Bridges, Giannis Antetokounmpo
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks.
That framework brings the Knicks into focus.
“League sources say Portland has long admired New York’s Mikal Bridges going back to Damian Lillard’s first stint as a Blazer,” Fischer reported.
In theory, a three-team deal could allow Milwaukee to reclaim its own draft capital from Portland while New York sends Bridges to Portland — helping both franchises address competing priorities.
However, skepticism remains.
Skepticism Around Portland’s Willingness
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel cautioned that Portland’s leverage may ultimately work against such a scenario.
“Giannis wanting out only increases POR’s draft pick value since they own Bucks’ picks,” Siegel wrote on X. “If the Blazers are to even think about trading any of those picks, they will need to be getting something of enormous value in return. I see no world in which the Trail Blazers would give up Bucks draft picks for Mikal Bridges.”
That reality underscores the challenge facing the Knicks.
While Antetokounmpo’s reported preference keeps New York relevant, Milwaukee’s asking price — and Portland’s leverage — suggests any Knicks pursuit would require creativity, patience and circumstances aligning beyond a standard two-team trade.
The Bucks’ price tag has clarified the market and it only reinforced how difficult it will be for the Knicks to turn interest into action.