Well, it’s official. Like, officially official. After officially winning their first NBA championship in 53 years, the New York Knicks have officially opted out of the official Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes. Officially.
In his latest dispatch for The Stein Line, insider Jake Fischer reports that the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t dealing with a particularly robust list of suitors for the two-time MVP, largely because the Knicks and other potential suitors “did not come calling.”
Say it all together, ya’ll: Duh.
New York just won a title. Major shakeups should not be on the table. And yet, the news remains significant.
James Dolan has injected some uncertainty into the Knicks’ offseason
First and foremost, we can never know what Knicks owner James Dolan is thinking. He has historically glommed onto shiny objects even when the team is rolling.
No one will soon forget the 2013 Andrea Bargnani trade that came on the heels of a 54-win season, and ruined plenty of good vibes. (*Uncontrollably shudders*)
Giannis is on an entirely different level, to be sure. New York already proved it doesn’t need him anyway.
Still, with Dolan providing sound bites that point toward key exits this summer, knowing once and for all the Knicks won’t be seduced into another big-name pursuit is nothing if not a source of comfort.
This latest news is the ultimate compliment to New York’s trade assets
Beyond the Dolan of it all, the idea that the Bucks were hoping New York could incite a more aggressive bidding war is quite flattering.
For the past year, the prevailing sentiment was that the Knicks didn’t have enough to get Giannis. They can only trade two first-round picks this summer (2026 and 2033), and don’t have the blue-chip talent around Jalen Brunson to overwhelm Milwaukee or anyone else with a player or two who can fetch a boatload of picks and prospects from other squads.
Oh, how the tables have turned. Mikal Bridges was never overpaid, but he’s definitely not overpaid now. Karl-Anthony Towns has gone from a cap-sheet obstacle who can’t fit into the NBA’s foremost Victor Wembanyama foil.
OG Anunoby always had more trade value than any of the Knicks’ non-Brunson players. But after building a genuine Finals MVP case, he would clearly net more picks and prospects than other names linked to Milwaukee like Jaden McDaniels, Kel’el Ware, and heck, maybe even Jaylen Brown.
Sure, in theory, New York can’t compete with the top Giannis offers even if it was inclined to. Then again, it can’t both be asset-starved and a team Milwaukee was hoping to use as leverage against other suitors.
In a way, then, the Knicks just picked up three gargantuan victories: their first championship since 1973, the right to end the Giannis speculation on their own terms, and confirmation that the players they’ve assembled are highly appealing around the league.
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