Grading this Giannis trade for the Knicks
Let's assume for the moment that the Milwaukee Bucks don't get a better offer, they really like Karl-Anthony Towns, and they are willing to make this trade. Should the New York Knicks pull the trigger?
On the surface, it obviously sounds like an amazing opportunity to pair Giannis Antetokounmpo with Jalen Brunson, giving the Knicks a pair of Top-10 players (at a minimum). One difficulty of building a championship team around Antetokounmpo has been his lack of floor-spacing, but that has never stopped Brunson before and he is a master of working his way into the cracks of a defense. Shift any attention to Brunson, and you have one of the best rim scorers in league history waiting.
Antetokounmpo would also juice the Knicks' transition game, as he is a freight train on the fast break and can grab-and-go to get things moving. Opposing defenses have to build a wall to protect the paint, and defending Brunson and stopping Antetokounmpo will mean a lot of open 3-pointers for the likes of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
That brings up the true gem of this trade: the defense. If the Knicks have Bridges, Anunoby and Antetokounmpo all on the court, the potential to execute a number of defensive schemes at an elite level should have Tom Thibodeau writing love ballads. Antetokounmpo has taken a step back on defense from his athletic peak, but he is still a force on that end in a way that Karl-Anthony Towns -- or Julius Randle, for that matter -- simply wasn't.
The Knicks would still have a major problem at center; Antetokounmpo would almost certainly have to play some minutes at the 5, especially when closing games. That closing lineup would be fearsome, however: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Precious Achiuwa, Miles McBride, Delon Wright and Matt Ryan would round out the bench, plus any veterans the Knicks sign with more salary flexibility under the second tax apron than they have before the deal.
The spacing will be cramped, and the Knicks will need to somehow get another center -- whether that is Mitchell Robinson getting healthy or nailing a buyout signing. But their defense and offense should both be top-10 units after this deal, and the star upside in the playoffs is immense.
This deal is a longshot to happen, but it's almost certainly because Milwaukee would have to be in love with this specific package and the options it opens up for them. From the Knicks' standpoint, despite their love for Towns and how recently they traded for him, this deal is a no-brainer. To get a talent like Antetokounmpo for this package is a slam dunk.
Now the Knicks just need Giannis to get an Empire State of Mind.
Grade: A