The NBA spent the week weighing two significant developments: Oklahoma City’s 21–1 start and the growing possibility that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available for trade soon. With OKC leaving sneaker
prints all over the league, and trade season starting in just ten days, front offices are pondering what re-tooling can be done to challenge the the booming Thunder.
The Bucks are sliding in the East, Giannis is dealing with another calf issue, and, reportedly, his management is discussing the two-time MVP’s “future” with the front office. You don’t need a deck of Tarot cards to predict that divorce seems imminent. Per NBA insider, Jake Fischer, Rival executives increasingly view an in-season Antetokounmpo trade as plausible, and the league is bracing itself for a seismic shift.
And yes, the Knicks are still in the mix.
Fischer reported today (via Marc Stein’s The Stein Line) on what he’s heard around the league. He writes: “Antetokounmpo’s affinity for playing in New York has been mentioned often, both publicly and privately, most recently revealing itself as part of what ESPN continues to call ‘an exclusive negotiating window’ that the Knicks were reportedly afforded in August to make trade pitches to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo.”
According to Fischer’s sources, Antetokounmpo informed at least one Bucks teammate this summer that he believed a trade to New York was very possible.
Fischer writes: “Multiple sources have insisted this week that Antetokounmpo, during the summer, told at least one Bucks teammate that he believed a trade to the Knicks was quite close to materializing. Obviously no such trade did, but the Knicks continue to be cited as a team that must be mentioned in any credible discussion about the Antetokounmpo landscape.”
The competition for the soon-to-be-31-year-old, multi-decorated, championship-winning Greek will be significant. Fischer observes that:
- Atlanta could headline an offer with Trae Young and a premium draft pick.
- San Antonio could explore pairing Giannis with Victor Wembanyama, though they’ve shown no interest in moving their young guards.
- Golden State has long kept Kuminga and Podziemski as part of a potential Giannis fund.
- The Clippers, Heat, Lakers, and others have reserved cap space for 2027, when Giannis could skip his
player option and test the market.
Antetokounmpo remains one of the few players who can alter a franchise’s ceiling overnight. Oklahoma City’s rise has raised the standard for contention, and many teams see Giannis as a way to bridge that gap. With a talent like Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby to offer, the Knicks are positioned to be part of the conversation if Milwaukee chooses to pull the pin.
Try to hold your water until trade season starts on December 15. If the Bucks’ boat continues to founder, New York may soon have to weigh the biggest decision of the Leon Rose era: whether to sit tight with the team as-is, or go all-in for the big fish.
Go Knicks.
