The New York Knicks are coming off of a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals and are an early favorite to return this season. Yet at the same time, a bombshell report shows that they had a shot to add Giannis Antetokounmpo -- and they were unable to take advantage because of Mikal Bridges.
The entire NBA has been sitting with popcorn in hand and trade packages lined up watching to see if Antetokounmpo would finally request a trade. He has long maintained publicly that his top concern is competing for championships, and each time there has been doubt the Milwaukee Bucks have pulled off a major move and Giannis has signed a contract extension to stay with the Bucks.
This summer seemed different, with various outlets reporting that Antetokounmpo was open to a change. Yet as training camp opened, Giannis was still on the Bucks' roster, with his brother Thanasis on the roster as well. No trade appeared to be in the works -- and yet, Antetokounmpo alluded to strongly considering all options, and rededicated himself to competing for a championship. Only the most starry-eyed Bucks fans think that can happen in Milwaukee this season.
Then suddenly, the Knicks got pulled into the story.
Giannis was open to joining the New York Knicks
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that not only did Antetokounmpo think hard about requesting a trade out of Milwaukee, but talks actually got down to one team in particular: the New York Knicks. Charania noted that multiple sources told him that New York was the "only place Antetokounmpo wanted to play outside of Milwaukee."
On the surface that is an extremely exciting piece of reporting for fans of the Knicks, who have long desired a true superstar player on that level. Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, even Jalen Brunson -- these were Top-10 players at their best, but not quite the level of generational superstar that Antetokounmpo is. And pair Brunson with Giannis and suddenly you have a title favorite.
Yet talks never made it down the track, for one glaring reason: the Knicks have nothing to offer the Bucks. That is, their supply of draft picks and enticing young players has been depleted in the process of building their current team. What's more, they are prevented from even building a viable trade offer because their best matching salary is locked down until February.
To be more specific, the Knicks' decision to commit to Mikal Bridges is trying their hands in any Giannis trade discussions. When they made the trade to add Bridges, sending five first-round picks and a swap, it was understood that they were giving up on waiting for a superstar like Antetokounmpo to come available.
That came to be doubly true this summer, as the Knicks and Bridges agreed to a long-term contract extension that both overpaid Bridges and made him untradeable until February. When the Bucks reached out, therefore, the Knicks had an exclusive negotiating window -- but no true assets to offer and no matching salary to build a trade.
The Knicks aren't trading Jalen Brunson, and the Bucks don't want Karl-Anthony Towns after moving heaven ajnd earth to sign Myles Turner this summer. New York would ideally keep OG Anunoby as the perfect frontcourt partner to Antetokounmpo, so suddenly the two sides were at an impasse.
New York is a contender precisely because they traded for Bridges, Anunoby and Towns. If they don't make those moves, they may not be a team good enough to attract Antetokounmpo's interest. Yet it's undeniable that by choosing Bridges -- a good-not-great player who had an inconsistent season in New York -- the Knicks have prevented themselves from trading for Antetokounmpo.
They didn't put that in writing. They have never said "we are choosing Mikal over Giannis" or anything of the sort. Functionally, however, that is the decision they made - and now that decision is staring them in the face.
The Knicks could win the East and make a run at a title this season. They have a roster good enough to do that without Antetokounmpo. They are certainly favored to win more games than the Bucks. It may be that the path they chose is the best for the franchise.
They may also regret choosing Mikal Bridges over Giannis Antetokounmpo.