As ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks are "starting to listen" to offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is "ready for a new home" either before the Feb. 5 deadline or in the summer. One team that the team shouldn't strike a deal with is New York, which was reportedly his preferred top destination last offseason.
You can assume Giannis still wants to be traded to the Knicks. Leon Rose and that front office have been preparing for the possibility of the superstar hitting the market, so New York should be readying its best offer, but the problem is that it wouldn't be good enough for Milwaukee.
The Bucks shouldn't trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Knicks
The Bucks reportedly are seeking a package consisting of young players and draft assets, which should just about rule the Knicks out. The Bucks wouldn't want Karl-Anthony Towns and the 2026 top-eight protected pick owned by Washington that New York has? And why not?
In 2024, the Knicks cashed in the assets they patiently built up in a trade for Mikal Bridges. Now that Giannis is as available as he's ever been, they're probably regretting that. They can't trade Bridges and get anything close to what they gave up for him in an effort to use that draft capital to make the Bucks the offer they want, as his trade value is lower than what it was. The same goes for KAT.
So, in other words, New York is stuck, but that won't keep them from trying to land Giannis. Miles McBride, who is 25, is the kind of player that Milwaukee should want, but he's making only $4.3 million this season and $3.96 million next season. It'd take more than him, not just financially, but in terms of young talent. For the Knicks to have a shot, it'd have to be a multi-team trade.
Milwaukee will have the final say in where Giannis goes, but he will have some control, as he could decline his $62.8 million player option in 2027 to become an unrestricted free agent. Meeting the Bucks' price point would mean a team would want reassurance from the superstar that he'd re-sign with them.
If Milwaukee is going to send Giannis to a fellow Eastern Conference team, it needs to be to Miami, where the Heat can offer the Bucks the kind of package they want. The Knicks can keep dreaming.