The NBA trade deadline is a week away, and the rumor mill hit critical mass after reports stated the Bucks are now entertaining offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is open to a new home in the league. New York has been linked to Antetokounmpo for years now, a droning constant that seemed to only exist by default – one of the NBA’s premier and star-hungry destinations naturally paired with one of its best players.
However, this connection appears to be taking a more tangible turn. SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks will be "aggressive" in pursuing Antetokounmpo, after previously exploring a deal this past August that went nowhere.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the Knicks won’t or can’t pull the trigger by the deadline. Midseason shake-ups are super risky and not Leon Rose’s forte; there are fit, age and cost concerns, and the Bucks could drag this out to the summer to increase the number of bidders.
But this time might be different, as New York is at a pivotal juncture, having to prove this core can win or pivot off it before Jalen Brunson’s prime runs out. With a real chance to secure a perennial Top 3 player, fans shouldn’t be surprised if Rose takes one final giant swing for the fences.
The key reason to believe the Knicks are gearing up for a move is that this is the best chance they’ve had to acquire Antetokounmpo, and may be the only one. Until now, Antetokounmpo wasn’t available, and even if he was, the Knicks had little to trade that would entice the Bucks or beat out the competition.
Let’s go issue-by-issue now.
After weeks of passive aggressiveness, either Antetokounmpo, the Bucks, or both have decided it’s time to move on. The Knicks can only send swaps on their first-round picks, but recent Marc Stein reporting suggested they could loop in a Mikal Bridges-for-picks trade to boost their offer, and maybe land former favorite teammate of Giannis, Jrue Holiday.
Much of this idea revolves around the Knicks actually pulling that trade, or something similar, off. If they can, they’ll be able to throw together a competitive package in an uncompetitive environment.
Antetokounmpo's realistic options are limited at the deadline, as teams have less cap flexibility, fewer picks to trade and are locked into the season in front of them, less likely to make a major change. The team that is aggressive enough to make a midseason Giannis trade would need to have the goods, be ready to compete now and convince Antetokounmpo to stay long-term regardless of short-term results.
That defines New York to a tee, and the only others that arguably have a case are Golden State, Miami, Toronto, Atlanta or Minnesota. Even then, the Warriors, Heat and Hawks wouldn’t be certified contenders, and the other two aren’t exactly top destinations, nor prime to make a big trade here.
Now, imagine you’re Rose with a one-week chance at acquiring Antetokounmpo and little risk of being outbid, do you really turn that chance down?
Many will say wait for the summer, give this core another run at things and still give yourself a shot at Giannis with additional draft picks. Not only do you open yourself up to somebody else stealing him, but the opportunity cost may be too great.
Milwaukee may want to wait for the offseason to maximize its return, but it may not. Antetokounmpo’s distractions and a quicker pivot to rebuilding give them incentive to move now.
As for New York, blowing this season would be more detrimental than advertised. Some forgot that the East is without two major stars – Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum – that will return next season and give the conference a couple of extra threats to worry about.
Besides this playoff run looking cleaner than usual, another lost postseason would be losing a year of this not-so-young team’s prime, namely Brunson’s. Those fearful that such a monster midseason worsens their championship chances don’t appear to be factoring into the team’s current standing, or the fact that this move nets them Antetokounmpo.
While the Knicks looked dominant earlier in the season, cracks present in their squad opened into canyons during a brutal 2-9 stretch. They’ve since recovered, but those weaknesses remain ever-present.
There’s the defense, ranked 16th in the league, and even on its best days, it is limited by the pairing of Brunson and Karl-AnthonyTowns, two top scorers with big faults on that end. Towns himself is frustrating fans and coaches alike for the second straight season, this time looking uncomfortable on the offensive end, usually his safe zone.
Brunson desperately needs somebody else who can handle the ball and playmake. As a whole, the Knicks have looked softer and less athletic than their top competition.
On a positive note, New York has found recent success with the Brunson-plus-four-defenders configurations. Now contextualize the things that haven’t been working and the things that have, with Antetokounmpo in the picture - what do you see?
Yes, Antetokounmpo is 31 years old, has struggled to stay healthy (especially in recent years) and will demand a massive long-term extension. He’s also finished top-four in MVP voting for seven consecutive seasons, averages 28-10-5 on 65 percent shooting, plays with Defensive Player of the Year levels of impact on the other end and is an almost zero percent flight risk from the Knicks.
Generational talent like Antetokounmpo’s doesn’t come around often, as those who have followed this team’s rebuild from the beginning must realize. The stage is set for New York to beat out the rest of the league to realize that talent. Let’s see if Rose makes it happen.
