If Giannis Antetokounmpo is willing to wait, like, a few more months in Milwaukee, the New York Knicks might be able to rescue him from a brutal situation. If he can't wait any longer and wants out now, then the Knicks might have their backs against the wall.
As of right now, the Knicks can offer zero first-round picks for Giannis, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan. In the offseason, they can offer two — which still may not be enough to get a deal done, but two picks plus Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride, and potentially another asset is at least a competitive offer.
That's assuming that Giannis isn't dealt in the next 8 days; if he is, it will likely be because another team swooped in with a Godfather offer for him, which the Knicks simply can't compete with right now. In other words, this soft trade request comes at the worst time possible for the Knicks, and fans will be holding their breath until the deadline passes.
If you're a Knicks fan and don't hate the Cleveland Cavaliers, get ready for that to change, because they have a real chance to be the team that comes in unexpectedly and makes the offer that Milwaukee can't refuse.
Knicks will likely have to wait to trade for Giannis
And that waiting might take them out of the running completely. They just don't have any other choice at the moment!
This development also raises a question for the Bucks; how desperate are they to get a deal done right now? Contention is obviously not in their immediate future; this season is effectively over for the Bucks. That might actually play well for the Knicks — if the Bucks know this season is already cooked and they'll get better offers in the offseason (Miami can also offer more picks after the season) then why not wait?
Giannis is already sidelined for months with an injury, too, so it's not like he'd immediately contribute to any team that trades for him in the next week.
There are a lot of moving pieces here. Some are good for the Knicks (like the fact that a Giannis trade now feels inevitable and Giannis has wanted to be a Knick in the past), and some are not so good for the Knicks (like the fact that they can't yet send a competitive offer Milwaukee's way).
Things feel desperate for the Knicks right now, even after a few wins to settle everyone down in the past few days. It might not be the worst thing ever that the Knicks likely have to finish off this season without making a drastic move. And if Giannis is still available when the summer rolls around, the Knicks might get the best of both worlds: seeing if this team can take advantage of a weak East, and having a real shot at acquiring a two-time MVP.