Last offseason, when the Milwaukee Bucks were thinking about what course they should take if Giannis Antetokounmpo requested a trade, they learned there was only one team he wanted to play for outside of Wisconsin — the Knicks. Now, entering the summer when a trade could happen, New York might not even be in play.
The Knicks discussed a trade with the Bucks last year, but talks didn't progress into anything serious. New York didn't have what Milwaukee wanted if it gave up its superstar.
That is still the case, but now the Knicks may no longer be interested in trading for Antetokounmpo, especially if they end their championship drought and win the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973. The point of a Giannis trade would be to help them reach the mountaintop, and they are close to doing that without him.
Knicks may not even be interested in Giannis trade this offseason
New York would have to give up a player like Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, or Mikal Bridges to make finances work in an Antetokounmpo trade. If the Knicks had come up short in the playoffs this year, the front office might have been willing to do that, but they made the step that fans have waited so long to see. And they're not done yet.
Giannis shouldn't be on their radar anymore, so even if Milwaukee wanted to work with the superstar and send him where he wants to go, it might not be able to, if New York is still where he'd want to be over any other team. He might've already accepted the fact that a trade is very unlikely after the dominant run the Knicks are on.
Knicks can't give Bucks what they want for Giannis anyway
New York's best package still wouldn't be enough for Milwaukee, so the Knicks not being in the race for Antetokounmpo this summer doesn't negatively affect the Bucks. Other teams could easily outbid them, as they gave up the bulk of their draft assets in the trade for Bridges. It's worked out a lot better for them than most thought.
Milwaukee wouldn't be opposed to New York engaging in conversations for Antetokounmpo, though, as more teams joining the mix will benefit the Bucks. They could use it as leverage in their push to get the best possible offer.
It wouldn't feel right to see Giannis suit up for the Knicks, anyway. Although his reason for wanting to leave Milwaukee would be to win another title elsewhere, it would sting a lot more to see him do that in New York than with literally any other team.
Sending him to the West would be ideal, but the Bucks need to think about how best to set themselves up for their future. The Knicks can't give them that, and they may not want to try anymore. Sorry about that, Giannis.
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