The New York Knicks were the first team ever directly linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, should he ever request a trade. While the star had previously said he had no plans of asking out, that has all changed, according to a new report from Shams Charania.
Per the insider, Antetokounmpo is finally ready to be traded from the Bucks, and with that, teams across the league, and specifically the Knicks, are scrambling to build a package to land the 2021 Finals MVP.
“Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline as several teams have made aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks, who are starting to listen, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday,” Charania wrote for ESPN.
The insider was the first to report the links between the Greek star and the Knicks before the season, and while talks had relatively subsided, they now will make a push at pairing Antetokounmpo with current star Jalen Brunson.
Knicks Get Great News As Giannis Demands Trade
As mentioned, New York could very well lead the charge for the two-time Finals MVP, as they’ve been linked to him longer than any other franchise.
“Antetokounmpo, however, expressed concern over the roster in the offseason and explored his best external fits, including wanting a trade to the New York Knicks if the teams were able to reach a deal, but he recommitted to the Bucks and gave the 2025-26 campaign a true chance,” Charania wrote back in October.
“The Bucks picked up the Knicks’ call on Antetokounmpo, and the sides engaged in conversations for a window of time in August, league sources said, but the teams never got traction on a deal.”
In any potential Antetokounmpo trade, New York would have to at least include Karl-Anthony Towns, a few salary fillers in the form of some of their rotational players, and likely all of the draft picks they can trade. Mikal Bridges could also be on the table, but it comes down to what the Bucks would want back in specific trade talks with the Knicks.
But what is good news for the New York franchise is that Antetokounmpo has finally made it clear that he wants out. That means Milwaukee no longer has any leverage, and with signs pointing to them wanting to do what is best by their star, the Knicks could be in the driver’s seat, especially after a recent report indicating he still has them atop his list of preferred destinations.
Knicks Trade Rumors
As there was previously uncertainty on whether New York could ever get a deal done for Antetokounmpo, they had shifted their focus to moving other players to rework their roster after what has been a difficult past few weeks.
While they haven’t ruled out the idea of moving Towns for a smaller addition, the new report on the Bucks and Antetokounmpo likely now means they’ll only move their center if it means adding the nine-time All-NBA superstar.
Additionally, the Knicks have been in talks about trading both Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet before the deadline. They’ve been linked to Jose Alvarado, Keon Ellis, and Jeremy Sochan, each of whom they’d hope could bring a bit of reassurance to the roster that has taken a dip since they won the NBA Cup in mid-December.
New York remains extremely limited as to the smaller moves they can make, as seen with their salary cap restrictions and massive contracts wrapped up in their starting group. However, if Antetokounmpo is now on the table, even James Dolan wouldn’t shoot down the idea of doing everything they can to trade for him.
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