Counting Knicks out in Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors is premature
The New York Knicks are no longer the organization that makes mistake after mistake and is clowned for it by NBA fans. Owner James Dolan is still a stain on the franchise and said earlier this year he doesn’t have plans of retiring anytime soon, but he realized several years ago he should take a hands-off approach.
Leon Rose was brought in as team president in 2020, and since then, New York’s goal of obtaining a superstar-level player has become realistic. As a former CAA agent, Rose has relationships with big-name players around the league, including Joel Embiid. The Knicks’ draft assets have grown under Rose’s watch, and the front office has been patient in pursuing a star.
Embiid’s been connected to New York this offseason amidst the James Harden-Daryl Morey drama, but another player hinted he could leave his current organization in the next two years. That player is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who made it clear in an interview with The New York Times he won’t re-sign with Milwaukee unless the team is still in a position to compete for a championship.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported (subscription required), “The Knicks and Lakers are already being mentioned as franchises presumed to interest Antetokounmpo down the road if he does decide to move on from Milwaukee..”
FanSided’s Lakers site, Lake Show Life, wrote, “Why the Knicks have no chance of signing Giannis Antetokounmpo over Lakers,” in which New York was discredited as a landing spot for the two-time MVP.
New York Knicks linked to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in rumors
Lake Show Life listed three reasons why the Knicks won’t be able to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo over the Lakers:
- The difference in perception with the two franchises
- The Knicks’ financial future is muddier than the Lakers
- The Lakers simply have more talent
The first point argued that New York’s track record with superstars should raise a red flag for Antetokoummpo and that there’s a reason why players of his caliber turn the Knicks down.
New York thinking it could sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the 2019 offseason comes to mind, but that duo signing with Brooklyn was a blessing in disguise for the Knicks. Four years have passed since then, and the culture has shifted in New York.
Leon Rose made one of the best free agency signings in the organization’s history by inking Jalen Brunson to a four-year deal last summer. Julius Randle and Brunson aren’t superstars, but Randle is a two-time All-Star, and Brunson should’ve been named an All-Star this past season.
That duo has propelled the Knicks back to relevancy, so a player like Antetokoummpo wouldn’t be expected to be the team’s savior if he were traded or signed with New York. The pressure of playing in a big market and dealing with the New York media will always be a thing, but the Knicks are no longer bottom dwellers.
As for the second point, based on how things currently stand, New York will have more salaries on the books than Los Angeles in 2025, when Antetokounmpo could enter free agency. However, that doesn’t mean the Knicks are in a bad spot financially.
In actuality, financially, the Knicks have been one of the more competent teams in the NBA. There isn’t a max player on the roster, yet New York is still a top-five team in the East.
Los Angeles has the more talented player on the roster in Anthony Davis, but who knows what shape he’ll be in two years from now. Davis hasn’t played more than 56 games in the past three regular seasons, so questioning his durability is justified, as is the pairing of Antetokounmpo and Davis.
Lake Show Life also argued that Austin Reaves could be an All-Star when Antetokounmpo is seriously pondering whether to go to the Lakers.
Reaves has the potential to be an All-Star, but along with Randle and Brunson, let’s not forget about RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley. If Barrett can put his game together, he could be an All-Star, too. Grimes and Quickley might not reach All-Star level, but they’re two talented players, hence IQ being runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in his third season.
Antetokounmpo could request a trade before deciding on his player option in 2025, which would give the Knicks a far better shot at getting him, assuming the front office will have not yet made their move for a star.
There’s no guarantee Antetokounmpo will end up in New York if he wants to leave Milwaukee like there’s no guarantee he’ll go to Los Angeles. To count the Knicks out because of the storm cloud that used to hang over the organization 365 days a year is premature, though.
It may take a few seasons of success for non-Knicks fans to admit the team is for real, but the truth is New York has been on the rise.
