The freight train of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors is only gaining steam. Now, the New York Knicks are the hottest among potential Milwaukee Bucks trade partners. Since the Knicks don’t exactly have a boatload of appealing draft picks, acquiring Giannis would mean sacrificing substantial NBA talent. In the wake of reports that they are working on a “tsunami-type offer,” social media users are having a field day imagining New York’s roster after any hypothetical trade.
REPORT: The Knicks are preparing to make a “tsunami-type offer” to acquire Giannis from the Bucks, per @GeryWoelfel.
Here we go. 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/I8Z0yVr92J
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 6, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks Would Want Potentially Roster-Gutting Package from Knicks
What a Knicks offer would look like isn’t readily apparent. Unless they involved a third team to provide additional draft capital, the whole proposition flies in the face of other reports that the Bucks would prioritize picks and young players in any Giannis deal. To humor the rumor, though, let’s just assume that a feasible three-team trade exists, or that the Knicks could present a satisfactory offer by themselves.
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo New York Knicks
Jan 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket against New York Knicks forwards Precious Achiuwa (5) and Mikal Bridges (25) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
For New York, the best version of a trade might simply involve swapping Giannis and Karl Anthony-Towns along with Miles McBride and a healthy helping of draft assets. That way, the Knicks have some semblance of a roster left when the deal is done. There is a catch, however – in order to recruit a third team, they would need to ship a quality player their way, eating into their supply of rotation players and risking a Brunson-plus-Giannis-plus-skin-and-bones-type roster.
Another possible package would send out Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and McBride. Maybe Milwaukee throws in a fringe role player, someone like Andre Jackson. The trade would leave New York with a daunting, if somewhat awkward big three – Giannis, Towns and Jalen Brunson – but only one of last season’s rotation players, OG Anunoby, under contract alongside them.
Fill out the roster however you want to, there aren’t a whole lot of possibilities to work with.
Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, New York Knicks
Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on in the final seconds of the game against the Indiana Pacers during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
New Yorkers Respond with Tweetstorm of Memes
Envisioning a bare-cupboard supporting cast for Giannis and Brunson, Knicks patrons weren’t altogether thrilled about the “tsunami” aspect of a potential deal.
Knicks bench if we trade for Giannis https://t.co/p9scybJV2W pic.twitter.com/z8apB3cs6w
— June (@HoodieBrunson) June 6, 2025
brunson giannis and 8 cokeheads off the streets of nyc https://t.co/zVBhTJywMp pic.twitter.com/qBhazqAjdy
— 🅰️ (@abzMCFC___) June 6, 2025
Our team about to be Brunson Giannis + twitter users pic.twitter.com/tWzbQjKsUr
— Dewey In MSG (@DeweyInMSG) June 6, 2025
Depth issues have already proved a problem for New York in the playoffs. Under since-fired coach Tom Thibodeau, players complained about being overworked during the regular season. Thibodeau might be gone, but that won’t magically expand the team’s already thin rotations – especially not if the roster is further depleted by trading for Giannis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks
Nov 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and forwards OG Anunoby (8) and Mikal Bridges (25) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Rather than empty the clip in panic over a Conference Finals exit – the Knicks’ deepest playoff run in 25 years – they would do better to take a deep breath, sit back and evaluate their options. In fact, the same could be said for the Bucks. If Giannis wants definitively out, that’s it, after all he has brought the franchise they must honor his wishes and trade him. Otherwise, avoiding rash action and simply letting the offseason play out is the best approach for the future health of the franchise.
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