It's official, folks. The Milwaukee Bucks are basically willing to admit that they're open to trading superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN.
The New York Knicks' interest in the 2021 Finals MVP has been public record since last offseason, when they reportedly had an exclusive negotiating window with the Bucks. Obviously, nothing came of it.
But now, the Bucks finally seem ready to tango with any interested parties. The Knicks' second-straight run to the Eastern Conference Finals, though, begs a question of its own: should New York care?
Knicks aren't above acquiring Giannis, but this is bad timing
The Knicks qualified for their second-straight Eastern Conference Finals before their potential opponents had played Game 4 of their current series. But even though the team is getting a few days of extra rest, it doesn't mean that they need to use that time thinking about changing a single part of their roster.
As it stands, New York rosters a 7-footer that can shoot 3-pointers, make reads within the flow of their offense, make the game easier for the team’s superstar guard and best wing, dial up their defense every postseason, and play power forward next to a traditional center.
His name is Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Bucks' willingness to move Antetokounmpo feels like a bad spin-off of Groundhog Day, where it's reported on a weekly basis that a trade is imminent but one never actually happens. This time, it seems to truly be serious. How much should the Knicks care, though?
Especially after last season, New York had plenty of questions to answer. They created some of them with their own decisions, such as the one to move on from head coach Tom Thibodeau after five successful seasons in charge that culminated in the team's best season in a quarter of a century.
This year's Knicks squad is doing a lot of work in the direction of answering them.
Their point guard is not too short to lead them to back-to-back appearances in the ECF. Their center is not too soft to buy into starring in a variety of roles on both ends of the court. They can survive injury scares, even to key starters. Their bench seems deep enough. Their coach seems like the right guy for the job.
Upending the group currently riding the strongest wave of momentum across the entire NBA doesn't seem like good business for Leon Rose's front office. An opportunity to acquire a player of Antetokounmpo's stature is not one that any team should balk at.
The Knicks, however, might just be on the level of teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Not just on the court, but in the sense that a major part of their success is tied into the fact that they've assembled a relatively young group of talented players that are, mostly, signed for years to come.
New York might decide after these playoffs that moving mountains to acquire Antetokounmpo is a worthwhile gambit. But for right now, they have plenty of other challenges to focus on overcoming. And an All-NBA 7-footer that seems ready to keep rising the ranks of Knicks – and NBA – history.
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