As Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors continue to trickle out, the New York Knicks are learning a number of difficult, albeit necessary, lessons. Arguably the most important one, though, is barely being discussed: If the Knicks do land the two-time MVP, it cannot be the only move they make.
For as much as New York’s path to landing Giannis hinges on him reemphasizing his desire to play at Madison Square Garden, it is also contingent upon filling critical holes that will be created by his arrival. And rest assured, there will be at least one major void.
Scenarios in which the Knicks give up Karl-Anthony Towns without knifing into the rest of their core are farfetched. Yet, even that’s how it played out, they’d need to go out and get another center—preferably one who spaces the floor around Giannis.
This is the most favorable hypothetical possible. New York’s reality is bound to be much harder to reconcile.
KAT isn’t the only star the Knicks will have to trade for Giannis
Given the list of other teams involved in the Giannis sweepstakes, the Knicks are not going to emerge from negotiations without acquiring first-round picks they don’t currently have in their possession. And they are not going to accomplish that by moving Towns. His value around the league is an all-time low.
Mikal Bridges won’t be the vehicle through which New York secures a bunch of draft equity, either. His four-year, $150 million extension is reasonable, but his limitations on both ends of the floor have been exposed since joining the Knicks.
Knowing Jalen Brunson is off the table, this leaves OG Anunoby. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps noted on The Hoop Collective podcast:
“OG Anunoby just auctioned off could get you an absolute metric ton of stuff. Because while OG Anunoby is not Giannis, what he is is the absolute perfect finishing piece for a title team, and there are title teams with a whole lot of stuff that OG Anunoby would be a perfect fit on."
If Anunoby is the cost of getting Giannis, it won’t make the Knicks (or their fans) too happy. The front office will suck it up, and do it anyway. Because, well, it’s for Giannis.
Still, OG cannot be the only significant moving part. Towns probably gets included himself anyway. Ditto for Deuce McBride. Suddenly, just like that, the Knicks are converting three of their top-seven players into one singular acquisition.
The Knicks will need to line up another big trade after getting Giannis
Though there are scenarios in which New York can make the money work for Giannis without including Towns’ salary, it’s beyond unlikely that his place on the roster survives the MVP’s arrival. The Knicks would have to find a suitable OG replacement—a combo wing who can do more of the on-ball lifting than Giannis, or Bridges.
Trading KAT as either part of a larger Giannis deal or separate transaction is the most effective path to doing that. His $53.1 million salary is large enough that it can be divested into two or three rotation players.
Of course, this presumes he has the market appeal necessary to do so. He might not, particularly when weighed against what the Knicks would need: a combo wing, another big, and if McBride is gone, a viable point-of-attack defender.
Checking even two of those boxes using Towns is a tall order. If it weren’t, New York might have moved him already.
So while the Giannis trade rumors aren’t exactly a “Be careful what you wish for” situation, the Knicks’ pursuit of him isn’t just about getting him. It’s about figuring out how to field a coherent and competitive roster once if and when they do.