It wouldn’t be an NBA offseason without the New York Knicks being linked to a star. This time it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, with a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania adding fuel to the fire that he may want out of Milwaukee.
“He’s still in his process of evaluating – asking himself some hard questions.” @ShamsCharania on Giannis’s future in Milwaukee. #fearthedeer pic.twitter.com/PC5MvLObiM
— ESPN Milwaukee (@ESPNMilwaukee) August 4, 2025
That, combined with a report by James Edwards of The Athletic mentioning that the Knicks already have plans to make a run at Giannis, and there may be something there. The Knicks actually having enough to trade for Giannis is a bit of a pipe dream.
However, it’s perhaps not completely out of the realm of possibility. New York recently re-signed Mikal Bridges and may have tipped their hand on their intention to potentially trade him in the event of Giannis demanding a trade.
The Knicks would have to get creative to land Giannis
The Knicks opted to sign Bridges to an extension on August 4th. That allows them to possibly trade him in six months, which would be before the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline.
Still, they probably wouldn’t trade Bridges to Milwaukee for Giannis directly. Instead, they could trade him to another team for the assets needed to package in a deal for Giannis.
Or, they could simply do a three-team deal in which Bridges gets sent to a third team and the assets received for him get rerouted to the Bucks. Then again, those plans hinge on Bridges having a better season than he did last year. That would raise his trade value, with another playoff team potentially being more willing to acquire him.
Or, the Knicks could gauge interest in Karl-Anthony Towns, with his contract matching up more closely to Giannis’.
Can the Knicks land Giannis Antetokounmpo?
A lot would have to go right for the Knicks to end up with Giannis. First, he would have to demand a trade, which is certainly possible but not a guarantee. Then the Knicks would have to make the cut as far as potential teams he’d be willing to play for. Even if those things happen, New York would still have to work some serious magic.
Ironically, the initial trade that landed the Knicks Bridges may cost them the chance to acquire Giannis. They traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal to add Bridges, and that has proven to be a big overpay.
Had they managed to hold onto a couple of those picks, that would have made a potential run at Giannis a lot easier. Instead, they will have to rely on a third team to help them in a potential blockbuster. It’s technically still possible, but the Knicks would need serious help to make it happen.
