The collective NBA world has its eyes pinned on Giannis Antetokounmpo's every move, wondering if there is a possibility he may request out of Milwaukee this summer. The Knicks, who have been linked as a possible destination for the former MVP, would be wise to hold off on extending Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson so they have as much flexibility as possible to put a package together, in the event Antetokounmpo becomes available.
Up until this point, Antetokounmpo has given multiple indications that he plans to remain in Milwaukee. Recently, on a stream with IShowSpeed, Antetokounmpo said that he would "probably" stay with the Bucks, adding that he loved Milwaukee.
Still, things are unpredictable in the NBA. If the summer winds down and Antetokounmpo decides that the Bucks didn't do a good enough job putting a championship-caliber roster around him, maybe things could change. If they do change, there will be an arms race while teams try to assemble the most enticing packages they can.
That possibility is precisely the reason that the Knicks should hold off on extending Bridges and Robinson.
Bridges and Robinson are both extension eligible
Bridges is eligible to sign a four-year, $156.2 million extension with the Knicks this summer, while Robinson could sign an extension up to four years worth just over $81 million. Both players are vitally important to the Knicks, and extensions make sense in a vacuum.
The issue, though, is if the Knicks were to sign both players, they wouldn't be available to be traded in any deal this summer. SNY's Ian Begley pointed out that if they were to sign extensions, they wouldn't be able to be traded for six months.
Extensions could handcuff the Knicks
If the Knicks were to give extensions to both players and Giannis suddenly became available, they would be in a difficult position. That would mean that a trade package would likely have to center around either OG Anunoby or Karl-Anthony Towns.
As is, the Knicks would still be hard-pressed to assemble a package that would interest the Bucks. They don't have any tradable first-round picks after using all of them last season to land Bridges from the Nets. It's hard to imagine the Bucks would be willing to part with their franchise star unless they were getting multiple unprotected first-round picks in the deal.
Still, the Knicks are where they are. They must be patient in order to give themselves a shot, no matter how small that shot is.