Though the NBA trade deadline may now officially be in the rearview, talk of a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo deal is still all the rage, and the New York Knicks remain a legitimate destination for his services.
The Greek Freak staying put in Milwaukee only opens the door for an offseason departure, which has both fans and pundits alike speculating where he might ultimately end up playing during the 2026-27 campaign.
Needless to say, there's a large number of Knicks fans who are holding out hope that the superstar will wind up being shipped out to the Big Apple, though, the sad truth of the matter is that in order for Leon Rose and company to commit to such a seismic pursuit, yet another gut-wrenching postseason upset will almost certainly have to serve as the catalyst.
Knicks likely won't trade for Giannis without enduring disappointment
At 35-20, New York ranks as the third seed in the Eastern Conference standings and boasts the fourth-best odds of winning this year's NBA Championship.
With the league's fourth-highest payroll, clearly, this club is all in on their chase for their first title since 1973.
However, even with all this in mind, coupled with the fact that they have two All-Stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the charge, throughout the year, many still find themselves questioning whether the Knicks actually have the tools necessary to vie for ultimate glory.
As has been a widely accepted truth among fans since the turn of the 21 Century, the potential for an upsetting finish to the season is well within the realm of possibility for New York.
In fact, in many ways, it's now sadly become almost expected.
And despite how upsetting this all may sound, the fact of the matter is that, when it comes to the idea of a possible trade for Giannis this summer, such an outcome to the campaign is essentially a necessity.
Leading into the trade deadline, owner James Dolan made it abundantly clear that the Knicks had no intentions of making any major in-season deals, though he emphasized that, in his eyes, it's championship or bust with the core they currently have.
Needless to say, for those praying to see Giannis don the orange and blue threads next year, a bust scenario would likely have to unfold, which would undoubtedly spark a mixed bag of emotions among the franchise's faithful followers.
On the one hand, falling short yet again this year would presumably increase New York's odds of going full throttle in a trade pursuit of the two-time MVP, which, assuming the intention would be to pair him alongside The Captain himself in Brunson, is an exciting hypothetical scenario to ponder.
However, on the other hand, the road to claiming the Larry O'Brien Trophy here in 2025-26 seems to be as wide-open as its been for the Knicks since Michael Jordan's first retirement back in the mid-90s, as the Celtics are without Jayson Tatum (torn Achilles), the reigning champion Thunder seem rather vulnerable, and the Spurs are still in their infancy stages with Victor Wembanyama.
So, yes, failing to win it all this season could theoretically improve New York's chances of acquiring Giannis, but the path to a championship is only expected to get more bumpy moving forward as direct threats get stronger and Mike Brown's roster (with or without the Bucks star) gets older and more expensive.
Talk about a catch twenty two scenario!