The trade deadline is still two months away, but thanks to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania's report about how Giannis Antetokounmpo is weighing his future with the Bucks, there is a lot more chatter than there usually is around this time. Although the New York Knicks are 16-7, second in the East, they've been connected to Giannis, given his desire to play in NYC.
New York and Milwaukee discussed a Giannis trade over the summer, after he made it known that the only other team he wanted to play for, besides the Bucks, was the Knicks, a belief NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated on Sunday.
While that is still the case, or at least that's what executives around the league believe (subscription required), that doesn't make a possible Giannis-New York trade any easier.
The Knicks don't have the assets that the Bucks would want in a trade, and they should be wary of making an in-season trade like that with how well they're playing. If Giannis does request a trade before the deadline, his wish of playing in New York may not be granted, but it could happen as soon as 2027, when he could decline his $62.8 million player option to hit free agency.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a desire to play for the Knicks
The 31-year-old superstar should at least have some say in where he goes, considering he'll be eligible to sign an extension next October. A team shouldn't want to give up a combination of picks and players in return for Giannis, only for him to decline signing an extension.
As Fischer noted, though, there have been instances in the past where a team traded for a star, without the star making it known that is where he wanted to be. Look at Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. Although that worked out pretty well for Toronto, Kawhi was only in Canada for one season.
There is a chance Giannis could be traded to a team he isn't necessarily that high on, which would open the possibility of him ending up in New York. It's no coincidence that the Knicks keep popping up. They could pursue Giannis if he decides that Milwaukee is no longer what's best for him, but the Bucks could easily look elsewhere for a better offer.
That won't end the Giannis to New York speculation, but if he signs an extension, that would, at least for the time being. If a trade does happen and an extension doesn't, the Knicks won't be able to escape Giannis, but maybe they don't want to.