As much as Giannis Antetokounmpo requesting a trade would be a nightmare for the Bucks, it’d be a dream come true for Leon Rose and the New York Knicks. The goal has been to get a star, and Antetokounmpo is the gold standard.
He’s made shaky comments about his future in Milwaukee, the latest coming as a guest on the ’48 Minutes’ Bleav podcast. If the Bucks aren’t in a position to win a title, the two-time MVP could be on the move.
Antetokounmpo could decline his $51.9 million player option for 2025-26 to become a free agent, but if he wants out before then, the Knicks, like most other teams, would do everything in their power to get him. If a player like Joel Embiid requested a trade first, there’s a chance New York could’ve already used its assets on the star center.
However, knowing that Antokounmpo could be available, the Knicks could wait and see how his situation plays out. If New York does, HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan believes the team will have the best chance to get Antetokounmpo in a trade.
HoopsHype lists Knicks as top possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destination
Gozlan ranked nine teams, which were decided from ‘The Lowe Post’ podcast, where ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Ramona Shelburne listed nine organizations they believe will be involved in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks. Here’s how Gozlan ranked them:
- 1. New York Knicks
- 2. Oklahoma City Thunder
- 3. New Orleans Pelicans
- 4. Brooklyn Nets
- 5. Toronto Raptors
- 6. Golden State Warriors
- 7. Orlando Magic
- 8. Los Angeles Lakers
- 9. Miami Heat
As Gozlan noted, the Knicks can trade four of their own picks and four picks owned by other teams.
The jury’s still out on whether New York will extend Immanuel Quickley this offseason. He and Quentin Grimes, who has a club option in 2024-25, are the Knicks’ best two young players. The Bucks would push to get Quickley or Grimes, if not both.
It’d be interesting to know Antetokounmpo’s hopeful destinations if he were to request a trade, but then again, he isn’t your typical high-profile player. He’d likely despise a drawn-out scenario, the kind that Damian Lillard and James Harden are experiencing now.
New York and Milwaukee are night and day, but even for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s impossible to believe he hasn’t thought about what it’d be like to play at MSG on a nightly basis.