With limited trade assets at their disposal, the New York Knicks will need plenty of help if they’re going to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fortunately for them, they may be getting an assist from the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line,”there is a growing belief among trade-trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo” if and when he becomes available. Apparently, all of them “like what they have going.”
People will invariably dismiss this as posturing. ‘Tis the season to mislead the masses. But the logic out of Houston, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio tracks.
The Thunder are a potential dynasty as currently constructed. The Rockets have one of the league’s four best records, to go along with a top-three offense, and defense. The Spurs are not only earlier in their timeline, and perhaps reluctant to make a huge move. They just made the NBA Cup Final despite Victor Wembanyama missing more than half of their games.
Remove all of these asset-heavy suitors from the equation, and the Knicks’ odds of landing Giannis go way up.
The Knicks should root for Giannis trade rumors to hit a standstill
Taking possible Giannis teams off the board does not automatically position New York to swoop in, and grab him. As we found out this summer, it does not have the assets to sway Milwaukee outright. It needs Giannis to exert his leverage, and for the Bucks to run thin on other options.
One of those factors already favors the Knicks. Giannis is clearly interested in playing for them. Getting other teams to back off, however, feels impossible. There is always some squad willing to mortgage everything for a star—particularly a top-five player.
Yet, if so many primary Giannis suitors are hesitant to make a big move, it forces Milwaukee to take a harder look at what trade assets the Knicks can put on the table. And while their best offer cannot compare to those from Houston, Oklahoma City, or San Antonio, this won’t matter nearly as much if none of them are willing to throw their very-best packages into prospective talks.
Equally important: This is not just about thinning out the pool of suitors now. It’s about increasing Giannis’—and by extension the Knicks’—leverage later.
Giannis staying in Milwaukee this season is good for the Knicks
If we are being honest, the Bucks are unlikely to ship Giannis to New York midseason. Even if no other team will dangle their best assets, they’ll probably let the situation ride out until the summer, in hopes of either convincing him to stay, or waiting out an offer to their liking.
This is far from the worst-case scenario for the Knicks. If anything, it’s closer to the best-case outcome.
New York can cobble together a much better trade package over the offseason. It has zero first-round picks to offer now. That number climbs to two at the draft (2026, and 2033).
Better still, Giannis will have more leverage over his next destination if moved in the summer. At that point, he will be one year out from free agency (2026-27 player option). Teams that are not on his list of preferred destinations are much less likely to fork over the moon if they only get one season to sway his whims.
Anyway you slice it, the Knicks benefit a great deal the longer that this Giannis saga drags out. And with so many of the best-possible suitors not yet going all-in on him, this saga feels like it will, indeed, drag out.