Giannis Antetokounmpo officially on Knicks’ trade radar after bold comments
The New York Knicks’ Christmas Day game against the Bucks is still four months out, but the matchup got a lot more interesting on Thursday after The New York Times released an interview with Giannis Antetokounmpo where he spoke about his future with Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign an extension with the Bucks in September, but he confirmed that won’t happen. The 28-year-old has three years left on the five-year deal he signed in December 2020, and the third year is a $51.9 million player option.
The two-time MVP not only said he won’t sign an extension with Milwaukee this offseason but that he isn’t sure he’ll sign one next summer, either. The pressure is on for the Bucks organization, who fired Mike Budenholzer after Milwaukee’s embarrassing first-round playoff exit and hired first-time head coach Adrian Griffin to take his place.
"“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”He added: “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”"
Will Knicks be in position to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2024 offseason?
Like Joel Embiid’s situation in Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been fiercely loyal to Milwaukee since he was drafted in 2013 by the organization. He led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021, but since then, Milwaukee has failed to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Antetokounmpo stressed his desire to win another championship with the Bucks or another team. If the organization is all-in on winning another title, Antetokounmpo will seemingly be happy to hang around, but if not, he would be a hot commodity on the trade market.
"“You’ve got to see the dynamics,” he said. “How the coach is going to be, how we’re going to be together. At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know and the organization knows that I want to win a championship. As long as we’re on the same page with that and you show me and we go together to win a championship, I’m all for it. The moment I feel like, oh, yeah, we’re trying to rebuild —”"
It’s no secret the Knicks have their sights set on Embiid, who said in an interview earlier this summer he wants to win a championship, “whether that’s in Philly or anywhere else.” He later implied on social media he was trolling about the “anywhere else” part, but the ultimate goal in the NBA is to win a championship.
With Embiid being linked to New York, some fans are skeptical about the Knicks going all-in on a player who’s struggled with injuries and has yet to lead the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo not only has a championship on his resume, but he’s averaged 26.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in the 79 postseason games he’s played.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo were to decide Milwaukee is no longer where he wants to play, New York won’t be able to get to the phone fast enough.
