When it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential departure from the Milwaukee Bucks, the writing has been on the wall for months.
Antetokounmpo’s desire to continue winning championships are well-known, but the Bucks, despite their 2021 NBA Finals title, have suffered three first-round exits in as many seasons. The two-time MVP also made clear his stance on loyalty following backlash Luka Dončić received after his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers this past season.
“You cannot have a double standard here — when the teams make the best moves for them, and they believe they can get another player to win now,” Antetokounmpo told reporters, via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “When a player believes that he can go to a different team, and he believes he can have a chance to win a championship, we cannot crucify that person and say that he’s not loyal.”
In the moment, Antetokounmpo was primarily defending Dončić, but it is possible he could have been expressing frustration about his own situation.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks reportedly are not decided on their respective futures, with recent reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania claiming that Antetekounmpo “is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere.”
That’s where the New York Knicks, a championship-caliber squad looking for one more piece to take them over the top, come into play.
The Knicks likely would be among the large number of teams fielding offers to the Bucks’ front office about acquiring Antetokounmpo in a trade. Sports Illustrated’s Jake Brown proposes that it would come at a big cost to the Knicks — Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride and two first-round picks — but ultimately be mutually beneficial for both franchises.
“Giannis is still in his prime at 30 years old and has two years left on his contract plus a player option for a third year at just under $63 million in 2027-2028,” Brown wrote. “The duo of Brunson and Giannis would be true theater… Captain Brunson has been Captain Clutch for this team, but now would have someone else to trust giving the ball to down the stretch of games. That second option is what the Knicks so badly were missing last year.
“Towns is a really good player, so the drop off is not incredibly drastic in the return… [He] would join Myles Turner in a unique frontcourt, where both can shoot the ball from downtown. The Bucks would have a lot of three-point shooting ability with this new lineup, which was one weakness in Giannis’ game.”
Whether Antetokounmpo stays or goes remains to be seen, but the thought of the “Greek Freak” playing at Madison Square Garden is something that will certainly keep the rumor mill churning in the meantime.
