The Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes just got hotter. With them being down 3-1 in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, and Damian Lillard suffering a season-ending torn achilles, things are looking bleak for the Milwaukee Bucks’ future.
The Knicks could jump on an opportunity to land Giannis Antetokounmpo
With them seemingly stuck in limbo as the rest of the East continues to improve, the Bucks will have an interesting decision to make about their franchise superstar. That’s where the New York Knicks come into play, as they are still building off of a successful season yet still need more to become the top team in the East.
If the Bucks decide to put Antetokounmpo on the trade block, every team will immediately gauge a price for his services. The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Champion is consistently one of the top players in the league, and he averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists with the Bucks this season.
However, the Knicks make perfect sense as an ideal landing spot for Antetokounmpo. The forward is arguably the top two-way player in the entire league, as he has made an All-Defense team five times and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020.
Antetokounmpo could make the Knicks the best team in the East
Of course, bringing in an MVP-caliber player like Antetokounmpo would cost a fortune, especially with the Knicks teetering on the second apron. However, it may be a price worth paying given how much he could elevate their title odds.
To make salaries work, a trade for the superstar would almost certainly come at the cost of OG Anunoby, who is the Knicks’ highest-paid player and top perimeter defender. Anunoby is a huge difference maker for New York, but there’s no doubting that Antetokounmpo is a major upgrade.
They might also need to do away with Mitchell Robinson and some key draft capital, signaling a desire to go all-in and push for a championship right now. A trio of Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns would arguably be the best trio in the NBA and could easily takedown the Celtics or Cavaliers for best team in the East.
Ultimately, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee is still unclear, but the Knicks should pounce on an opportunity to land one of the game’s best players of this generation if it presents itself.