Amid rumblings that the New York Knicks prefer for Giannis Antetokounmpo to get dealt over the offseason, when they’ll have more assets to throw at the Milwaukee Bucks, their overall chances of landing him are officially on the rise. And they have the Golden State Warriors to thank.
Speaking on the All NBA Podcast, Marc Stein of The Stein Line revealed that the two-time MVP is no longer enamored with the idea of joining the Stephen Curry-led Dubs. His colleague Jake Fischer alluded to similar sentiments as well, noting that Giannis is potentially turned off by Golden State’s aging core, and also doesn’t want to deal with the fallout that comes with absconding to “Stephen Curry’s town and team.”
The Miami Heat and Timberwolves appear to be the two teams Giannis would like to end up with, per @TheSteinLine
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 3, 2026
“The focus has been on the Miamis, and Minnesota’s because those are believed to be teams Giannis would like to end up with. Golden State was described as one of… pic.twitter.com/l0317TJjpt
This is, somewhat quietly, a monster update for the Knicks—for a multitude of reasons.
Giannis’ disinterest in the Warriors syncs with the Knicks’ preferred timeline
Any suitor being ruled out of the Giannis sweepstakes helps everyone else by default. Removing the Dubs from the equation, though, is particularly pivotal. They are the only rumored team who can surrender up to four first-round picks, plus swaps, as part of their most aggressive package.
New York cannot begin to compete with that. It has zero first-rounders to include at the moment. The same goes for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Miami Heat have a leg up on the Wolves and Knicks, but offers built around Kel’el Ware and two first-round picks aren’t tantamount to a king’s ransom.
Given how underwhelming all the other reported offers are so far, displacing the Dubs from the running increases the likelihood that Milwaukee holds onto Giannis into the offseason. All bets are off if the Portland Trail Blazers, who control the fate of three Bucks picks (2028, 2029, 2030), decide to get involved. But the odds of that happening as anything more than a facilitating party are long.
This plays right into the Knicks’ hands. They will have two first-round picks to include over the summer (2026, and 2033), and should also have more suitors willing to give up additional first-round selections in exchange for Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, or even Karl-Anthony Towns.
It’ll be easier for the Knicks to beat out the field this summer
The Knicks will continue running into best-offer issues over the offseason. They are never going to have the most appealing package outright. Miami and Minnesota will have additional first-rounders to trade this summer, too.
Still, these obstacles are easier to overcome when New York isn’t entirely bereft of picks itself. More critically, Giannis gains leverage over the summer, when he’ll be just one year out from free agency. If he communicates he’s only willing to sign an extension with the Knicks, other teams will have a harder time overlooking it than if they acquire him now, with two postseason pushes to sell him on staying.
Speaking of the postseason: New York’s own pitch to Giannis gets more convincing if it has another deep run. An Eastern Conference Finals berth-or-better would prove, to him, that he’s the missing piece. The Heat have no chance of making it that far. And while the Wolves sure do, the West is brutal enough they could also bow out in the first round.
Regardless, Giannis’ apparent disenchantment with the Warriors is only good news for the Knicks. They won’t run into the same age-imposed impediments. Stephen Curry is going on 38. Jalen Brunson is 29. New York offers a top-end sustainability Golden State does not—and Giannis seems to know it.