After news resurfaced that Giannis Antetokounmpo was still 'opened-minded' about his future with the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks were named a top landing spot for the 2021 NBA Finals MVP.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 08: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks heads for the net as Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends in the first half at Madison Square Garden on November 08, 2024 in New York City.
TheNew York Knicks haveshown they want to do everything possible tomaximize the time they have withJalen Brunson. It didn’t work out this past season, but they could make a historic move to land the final piece of the puzzle that can take them over the top.
As reports resurfaced thatGiannis Antetokounmpo remains open-minded about his future with theMilwaukee Bucks, the Knicks were named a top candidate to trade for the $175 million 2021 Finals MVP.
“He’s been evaluating his future this entire offseason. I reported way back in mid-May that he is open-minded about whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or in a trade. That process has been continuing. There’s been some conversations he’s having with his inner circle,”ESPN’s Shams Charania said on August 4th. “The one big question that’s been surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, surrounding his camp, is can he win another championship?”
Charania’s Antetokounmpo updatecame after theNBA’s leading insidersaid in May that the superstar isopen-minded tothe possibility of exploringhis options outside of Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks lost in the first-round of the 2025 Playoffs for the third year in a row.
An Antetokounmpo Trade Package
Yes, New York making a massive move to acquire Antetokounmpo would be shocking, and it would also require them to trade away some of their top assets in the process.
Per Bleacher Report, a trade for the Greek Freak would look something like this:
New York Knicks Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive:Karl-Anthony Towns, Danny Wolf, 2026 first-round swap (NYK), 2028 first-round swap (worst of NYK and BKN), 2030 first-round swap (NYK)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Josh Hart, 2026 second-round pick (MIL via NYK), 2026 second-round pick (MIN via NYK)
“Towns’ inability toman the center spot defensively reduces his overall value and renders the remaining three years and $171 million left on his deal a significant overpay,” Grant Hughes wrote. “Antetokounmpo won’t offer anything close to the spacing KAT can, but he’s the vastly superior player in virtually every other area.”
An Antetokounmpo deal would require New York to send back picks and other players, as well as equivalent contracts in the move. A straight up Towns for Antetokounmpo trade would be ideal, but the Bucks getting another center when they just signedMyles Turner means they would likely want something else back in the trade.
Regardless of what a trade package would look like, a move like this isn’t impossible.All indicationsshow Milwaukee would adhere to Antetokounmpo’s demands, as he brought the franchise its first title in 50 years,leading them to unseen heights during the first decade-plus of his career.
“It’s fun to imagine Giannis giving the Knicks a defensive boost, as well as an option not named Jalen Brunson to run the offense. New York would vault over the Cleveland Cavaliers to clear front-runner status in the East with this deal.”
Giannis Or Not, New York Has Roster Decisions To Make
Though an Antetokounmpo trade would only come if the nine-time All-Star directly asks Milwaukee to move him that doesn’t mean New York won’t make a different move.The franchise hasa lot of big contracts on the books, and they would likely trade one or a few of their startersin order to remain under the luxury cap in the next few years.
One possible player, as mentioned in the Antetokounmpo trade idea, would be Hart.He is makingroughly $20 million annually over the next three seasons, andthough he brings massive value to the team, the Knicks could move him to save room on their payroll.
Another player possibly on the chopping block would beOG Anunoby. It’s a similar situation to Hart, where New York would need to find a way to rationalize paying him more than$40 million a year for at least the next three seasons. The contracts of the Knicks’ starters currently dominate their cap space, and with the newMikal Bridges extension, that number is only going to increase.
Both Hart andAnunoby were recently floated as two potential trade candidates if New York doesn’t feel confident with their current roster construction. While Brunson is still on a team-friendly contract after taking a pay cut, he seems like the only player who can be confident he won’tbe moved.
Regardless of an Antetokounmpo trade or other rostermove, the Knicks have proven they aren’t afraid to take big swings, as seen withthe Towns trade taking place just weeks before last seasonbegan. The front office finally seems willing to build around Brunson, but after their latest moves, them going after Antetokounmpo doesn’t seem that out of the question.