With potentially just hours remaining in the Knicks season, everything is on the line for Tom Thibodeau’s squad in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
If the Knicks don’t make then miraculous comeback and rattle off three-straight wins, the organization will have more questions than answers heading into a potentially chaotic summer.
Jalen Brunson isn’t going anywhere, Josh Hart’s value is much higher to the Knicks then it would be on the trade market, and Mitchell Robinson’s playoff performances have proven just how much he means to the Knicks’ success.
That puts Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges as perhaps the most likely candidates to be shipped out if Leon Rose decides to mix it up, this summer.
In a prediction by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the Knicks opt-to shake up their core in hopes of getting over the hump next season after coming up just short of the NBA Finals…and that comes in the form of one of the best players in basketball and a former two-time league MVP.
New York Knicks Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, 2026 First-Round Pick (swap), 2028 First-Round Pick (swap), 2030 First-Round Pick (swap)
In the proposed deal, the Knicks would be doing what they’ve long been rumored to do…bring ‘The Greek Freak’ to ‘The Mecca.’ While parting ways with Towns, Bridges, McBride, and a package of picks right after making an Eastern Conference Finals run could be seen by some as an overreaction, acquiring a generational talent with years still left in their prime should be a no-brainer decision…the Knicks would sweeten the pot by absorbing Kuzma’s two-year, $41 million deal, while also hoping the former lottery pick can add some value to the team that would be short on role players.
On the other side of the trade, the Bucks would still be afforded the chance to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference with Towns and Anunoby holding the fort down until Damian Lillard returns after recovering from a torn Achilles. It’s worth noting the Bucks don’t own their own first-round picks, nullifying the intrigue to tank.
