The NBA trade rumors are heating up, and the New York Knicks and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are back in the headlines. Although a deal for the superstar may seem unlikely, the puzzle pieces are slowly connecting the Greek Freak to Madison Square Garden.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the two-time MVP is “ready for a new home” and the Bucks have begun listening to trade offers. SNY’s Ian Begley added that the Knicks will be aggressive in their pursuit.
A recent report from Jake Fischer noted that the Portland Trail Blazers have “long admired” Mikal Bridges and could serve as a third team in a blockbuster trade involving the Knicks and Antetokounmpo. It’s important to note that the Blazers own the Bucks’ 2028 and 2030 first-round picks, two incredibly valuable picks if Milwaukee are bottom-feeders in the coming years.
The Blazers also may acquire Milwaukee’s 2029 first-round pick, depending on the draft order of Portland, Milwaukee and Boston.
If the Bucks want to go into a full-blown tank, reacquiring the rights to their picks could be the most important aspect of an Antetokounmpo trade. With the Knicks having limited draft capital, a helping hand from Portland may be the final piece the deal needs. However, the rumors aren’t done just yet…
Knicks exploring pathways to acquire guard Jrue Holiday
According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Knicks have explored pathways to acquiring Trail Blazers veteran guard Jrue Holiday. Alongside Antetokounmpo, the 35-year-old was a pivotal piece in the Bucks winning the 2021 NBA Finals.
In Feb. of 2024, Antetokounmpo opened up about his relationship with Holiday.
“We traded Jrue Holiday; I won’t say I didn’t like it because Damian Lillard is now my teammate and with him we’re going to win the championship, but my best friend leaving, who was living two minutes away from me is tough,” expressed Antetokounmpo on Cosmote TV, per Eurohoops.net. “We won the championship and we cried together.”
In Stein’s report, he also emphasized the relationship that the two players had in Milwaukee.
“There are at least two clear reasons why New York would have interest in a player who helped both Milwaukee and Boston win championships this decade: 1) The presumption that acquiring Holiday — if there’s a way — would make the Knicks an even more attractive destination to Holiday’s former Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo; 2) New York is believed to hold a longstanding fondness for Holiday as a potential backcourt complement to Jalen Brunson,” Stein said.
Holiday may be a key piece of a larger deal
Holiday, a two-time NBA Champion, signed a 4 year, $134.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics before he was traded to Portland. Yes, this is expensive for a 35-year-old slowly on the decline, but this figure may be the exact reason why Antetokounmpo and Holdiay are in the blue and orange sooner rather than later.
With Holiday on an expensive contract, a trade for the player would likely require Bridges to be involved in the package. However, it would be foolish for the Knicks to flip a 29-year-old wing for a 35-year-old in a vacuum, unless it’s part of a larger package.
Bridges and Holiday are both earning in the $25–32 million range this season, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Antetokounmpo make similar money to each other at roughly $53 million. Given those figures, a three-team deal may be the clearest path to finalizing a deal.
The verdict
With the Blazers having a genuine interest in Bridges and owning the Bucks’ future firsts, the Knicks exploring ways to acquire Holiday and the longstanding links between Antetokounmpo and New York, a deal could potentially be in the works. And as the old saying goes… where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
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