If Giannis walks into Jon Horst's office and says he wants to go to New York and only New York, Milwaukee has to do what feels impossible: tell their franchise icon no, for perhaps the first time ever.
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst just laid out Milwaukee's worst-case scenario, and it's the one situation where the Bucks absolutely cannot blink, no matter how much pressure Giannis applies.
According to Windhorst, "It'll be Giannis instructing the Bucks where he wants to be traded and the Bucks trying to make the best possible deal with that team...you can put whatever verbiage...[in the summer] he basically said 'I want to be a Knick.'"
Milwaukee will have to choose themselves over Giannis if they trade him
In case you need a reminder of recent history: the Damian Lillard playbook is right there. Portland faced this exact situation when Damian Lillard demanded a trade, specifically to Miami. The Trail Blazers could've caved, taken Miami's mediocre package, and moved on quickly. Instead, they held firm, waited out the noise, and eventually got a massively better return when Lillard expanded his list of acceptable destinations.
That's where this team stands if the time to trade their franchise player ever comes around. They need to do what the Blazers did with Lillard and wait it out until Giannis broadens his horizons. That's what is best for the franchise, hard stop, even if it means months of uncomfortable tension and negative headlines.
As it currently stands, the Knicks simply don't have the assets to properly compensate Milwaukee for a two-time MVP in his prime. Whatever New York could offer, likely some combination of young players, picks, and salary filler, wouldn't come close to Giannis' actual value. Trading him there because he demands it would simply be unwise, no matter which way you slice it.
To be clear, Giannis has absolutely earned the right to have preferences about his destination. He's given Milwaukee everything, delivered a championship, and been the perfect franchise cornerstone for over a decade. The organization does owe him respect and consideration in any trade scenario.
But at the same time, respect doesn't and shouldn't mean total surrender. The Bucks have a responsibility to their fans, their ownership, and their future to maximize the return on their greatest asset. Limiting themselves to one destination because Giannis wants to play in Madison Square Garden would be franchise suicide.
The moment Milwaukee signals they'll only trade with New York, the Knicks have zero incentive to offer fair value. It will mean they can lowball and wait for Milwaukee to cave out of desperation.
Portland understood this dynamic with Dame. They publicly stated they'd trade him wherever got them the best return, regardless of his preferences. That forced Miami to actually compete with other suitors instead of assuming they had a monopoly. Eventually, Dame ended up in Milwaukee because the Trail Blazers refused to limit their options.
Jon Horst and company need that same backbone to make this work in their favor. That means telling Giannis they'll work with him on finding a good destination, but they won't handicap themselves by only negotiating with one team. Open it up to every franchise with assets, create a bidding war, and maximize the return.
This approach risks public backlash. Giannis could go scorched earth in the media. Fans might revolt at the idea of not honoring their superstar's wishes. The organization will look cold and calculating instead of loyal and player-friendly.
But the alternative is worse. Trading Giannis to New York for pennies on the dollar doesn't just hurt the immediate return -- it all but cripples the franchise for a decade.
The Knicks' dream might be real for Giannis, but the Bucks can't make it real for him by destroying their franchise in the process. Hold the line, create competition, and force a real market for a generational talent.
That's the only way this ends without disaster for Milwaukee.