Earlier this week, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the New York Knicks and Bucks discussed a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade over the summer, but talks never reached an advanced stage. Since that report broke, there has been talk about what a deal could look like. There is one thing for sure, and it's that the Knicks wouldn't throw Jalen Brunson into a package.
On "The Zach Lowe Show," Lowe asked SNY's Ian Begley if New York would even think about including Brunson and Josh Hart in a deal for Giannis, to which Begley said, "I don't think that even crosses anyone's mind in a serious way." Begley added that Brunson is "the impetus to this whole thing," referring to the success that the Knicks have had over the past few seasons.
Begley called the Brunson signing in 2022 a "make-or-break moment" for Leon Rose and the organization. He noted the criticism that came after New York gave Brunson a four-year, $104 million contract. It didn't take long for that deal to look like a steal, and the star point guard took far less money than he could've gotten last year in an extension.
There is one untouchable on the Knicks' roster — and it's Jalen Brunson.
Knicks would never trade Jalen Brunson for Giannis Antetokounmpo
To be honest, none of this talk matters about what New York would give up for Antetokounmpo, because what draft assets do the Knicks have that the Bucks would want? New York cashed in five first-round picks last year for Mikal Bridges, and sent a protected first-round pick to Minnesota a few months later for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Knicks will get access to their 2033 first-round pick next summer that they could offer in a deal, but that still wouldn't be enough.
Trading Giannis would mean that Milwaukee would enter a rebuild phase, so picks would be a priority for the Bucks. They might try to ask for Brunson if the two sides discussed a deal again (why wouldn't they try?), but getting him, or even OG Anunoby, wouldn't make sense.
If Giannis requests a trade before the deadline, or waits until next summer (the likelier option), the Knicks will probably be one of many teams interested, but there isn't a clear path for the superstar to join Brunson in New York. It's nice to know that it's where he wants to be, but that isn't enough to get a deal done.