The New York Knicks are on the verge of a major implosion after going 2-9 in their last 11 games, with rumors and speculation on their future, and reported turmoil within the team.
With all the latest news surrounding this Knicks team, Karl-Anthony Towns has emerged as perhaps their biggest name player who they could attempt to trade before the deadline in hopes of revamping the current roster.
Additionally, New York was linked to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer, and most recently, they were urged to make the blockbuster deal for the star now in order to save their season and future.
“The Knicks were and will continue to be interested in Giannis,” James L. Edwards wrote for The Athletic. “So, yes, the Knicks should want Giannis right now. Something isn’t right with this team. The pieces aren’t meshing. The defense is atrocious.”
Inside the clouds leaving Giannis’ future hanging in the balance:
It was reported by Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo and the Knicks had mutual interest over the summer, but talks quieted relatively quickly. The Greek Freak has yet to ask to be traded from Milwaukee, and likely until then, he won’t be moved to any team, including the struggling New York franchise.
Knicks Urged To Trade For Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the face of their poor form and internal turmoil, the only player on the Knicks’ roster who can be considered safe by the deadline is likely Jalen Brunson.
Whether it be Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, or Mitchell Robinson, all of them remain on the table in a trade for Antetokounmpo. As Edwards wrote, he’s the best player in the Eastern Conference and would give New York a massive boost on both sides of the ball, as scoring and defense have become major issues over the past few games.
“Over the last month, though, New York hasn’t looked anything like the best one, two, three, four or five teams in the East, let alone possible champions,” he wrote.
However, Edwards, as well as Eric Nehm, added that the possibility of the Bucks trading Antetokounmpo before the February 5th deadline remains unlikely. Sam Amick interviewed with the star himself, and while addressing his own team’s struggles, stayed firm that he would never ask to be traded from the franchise he brought a title to in 2021.
“Right now? Before this year’s trade deadline? Absolutely not,” Nehm wrote from a Bucks’ perspective. “From a purely strategic standpoint, trading Antetokounmpo in the middle of the season is full of roadblocks for potential trade partners that would limit the packages offered for the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer.”
While Towns was previously named as the most likely trade piece to be moved by the Knicks for Antetokounmpo, his recent struggles have dropped his trade value. Instead, Nehm offered a new package for the Greek star.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kyle Kuzma for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Miles McBride,” he wrote.
Knicks Trade Rumors
The idea of the Knicks trading for Antetokounmpo isn’t new, but those talks quieted through the first half of the season. However, with their poor form, Brunson’s calling of a players-only meeting, head coach Mike Brown consistently calling out Towns and the rest of the roster, things do not look good in New York, which is why the idea of trading for the two-time Finals MVP is back on the table.
Yet still, that is likely a long shot from the perspectives of both teams. Antetokounmpo seems to know he can’t compete for a title in Milwaukee, but, at the same time, even if he wants to go to the Knicks, they are restricted in the moves they can make and what they could offer back to the Bucks.
So, instead, New York will likely have to work around the edges, and, if it isn’t Towns, trade someone else to add depth and hopefully revitalize what has been a bottom-third team in the league since winning the NBA Cup in December.
The names of Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet keep coming up in trade rumors. Those two, along with potentially McBride, the ever-frustrated Robinson, who seems to be done with the team, and even Hart or another rotational player, could all be moved if New York is ready to make wholesale changes.
They were linked to backup guards and wing players in previous trade rumors, but that was before their poor run, and issues across the board have emerged. The Knicks appear poised to make a move, but to what degree is still uncertain.
Knicks Get Major Update On Blockbuster Giannis Trade Rumors