It comes at a weird time, given that the New York Knicks are taking a five-game win streak into their Sunday night primetime matchup. But that game falling on February 1 is especially significant because it's the first day that the team is legally able to trade two-way wing Mikal Bridges after signing him to a four-year extension over the offseason. Now that Bridges is eligible to be dealt, the Knicks can put their best offer forward for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. They won't be able to offer anything different until the offseason.
Knicks' best offer for Giannis can officially be put on the table
Now that the Knicks can officially include Bridges in offers for the 2021 Finals MVP, things really get interesting. From the Bucks' perspective, it makes little sense to seriously negotiate with New York with Bridges out of the equation given the knowledge that he could soon enter these conversations.
The Portland Trail Blazers, who control several years of Milwaukee's draft capital via their trade for Damian Lillard, are rumored to have interest in Bridges. If the Bucks have interest in potentially regaining control of their own picks, re-incentivizing them to tank instead of forcing them to mostly rebuild in a post-Giannis world through trades and free agency.
It's difficult to whip up mock trades without knowing exactly what teams will be involved. But even teams that are interested in Antetokounmpo themselves might later decide, in the event that he doesn't want to be traded to their franchise, that they might as well still benefit from whatever blockbuster trade is about to go down. Portland, who reportedly has interest in Giannis themselves, might be that exact kind of team if they find out they don't have a real chance at the superstar.
Mike Brown said after the Knicks' fifth-straight win that, over the years, he tries to encourage and employ a "bunker down" strategy around the trade deadline with regard to all of the rumors that surface. Funnily enough, Jrue Holiday was caught telling Mikal Bridges ahead of the Knicks' Friday game against the Trail Blazers that this is "the worst time of the year."
Several insiders, including Begley, noted that a potential Knicks acquisition of Holiday would in part be inspired by the thought that Antetokounmpo would want to team up with him again. The two won a championship together in 2021 and a potential reunion in New York has had Knicks fans buzzing since Zach Lowe mentioned it on his podcast.
It remains to be seen what exactly will happen with regard to Giannis' future, and whether or not he's dealt ahead of the deadline. Cleveland, Sacramento, and Chicago just truly kicked off deadline season with their DeAndre Hunter for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder swap. Let's see what happens next.