The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga has been running all season, and it is not slowing down during the NBA Finals. If anything, the series between the Knicks and Spurs is making it more complicated by the day.
New York swept the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, then went into San Antonio and stole both games to take a 2-0 series lead. But the Spurs punched back in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, and now one team that was not even invited to this party is paying very close attention.
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Per Polymarket Hoops, citing The Stein Line’s Marc Stein: “The Bucks are waiting patiently and hope that the Knicks blow a 2-0 lead in the Finals so they can circle back to them on a trade.”
The Knicks are no longer seen as a leading candidate for the 31-year-old player, but Milwaukee will probably want to check whether the situation changes if New York loses the series and blows the lead.
Such a major collapse would nearly force the front office to make a big move, and Giannis is the most desirable player to trade.
In that case, the most logical question would be: what would the Knicks even offer? The most popular rumor has Karl-Anthony Towns swapping with Giannis Antetokounmpo on a one-for-one basis. The money matches and Towns has already been part of the Bucks in different proposals. On the other hand, a deal revolving around OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart has also been suggested as the other way.
In both cases, the Bucks are likely to make a trade before the NBA Draft on June 23, and according to reports, they are even planning to get an additional first-round pick on top of their current No. 10 selection.
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The reason for Milwaukee even hinting at New York is just a result of the events in Game 3. The Spurs stopped the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak in the playoffs with Victor Wembanyama as their main weapon scoring 32 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, giving 6 assists, making 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Karl-Anthony Towns was limited to scoring just 11 points. The series stands at 2-1 and a Knicks collapse is suddenly not as crazy a thought as it was a few days ago.
If New York does fall short, the pressure to add a player of Giannis’ caliber would be real. For now though, Miami remains his top preferred destination, with Boston lurking as a dark horse. Every report points to the same thing: Antetokounmpo wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.
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