REPORT: Knicks in on Giannis Antetokounmpo — Don’t care about it!

When it comes to fake New York rumors, as the philosopher CJ said, ‘Ah shit, here we go again.’

Believe it or not, the New York Knicks just made the list.

That’s the list of teams hoping for a chance at landing Giannis Antetokounmpo once he turns 30 years old slightly over a month from today, on Dec. 6.

And that’s what Marc Stein reported on Sunday, Nov. 3, listing New York as one of the four most prominent teams keeping a close eye on what happens in Milwaukee as the Bucks are nothing but a disaster these days.

“A credible list would likely start with four teams,

“Golden State and Miami were well-known to be in a serious state of readiness/anticipation to try to pursue Antetokounmpo before he signed his first extension in December 2020. Rest assured that their respective interest has not dimmed.

“Then there is New York … home to both the Nets and the Knicks.”

According to Stein, the Knicks are viewed around the league as one of the four most likely teams—or “credible,” whatever you prefer—to pursue Antetokounmpo if he requests a trade at some point in the future.

While Stein wrote something intriguing, reporting New York was “mentioned more often in recent months than the Heat or Warriors as a potential down-the-road trade suitor for Antetokounmpo,” he then poured cold water over all of it, adding that happened “before their late-September acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota.”

“I’ve heard more than one rival team since the (Towns to the Knicks) trade, mind you, wonder aloud about whether having a player of Towns’ caliber on the roster for a potential future Antetokounmpo offer was among the Knicks’ motivations for giving in on their long-held reluctance to include Donte DiVincenzo in trade talks with the Timberwolves and push for that deal’s completion when they did on top of New York’s obvious need for a frontline center.” — Marc Stein

The reasoning here, according to Stein, is that New York landed Towns to entice another superstar and make it more likely for whoever that Player X is to accept hooping in Manhattan—whether that’s by unlocking a trade, singing in free agency, or whatever the case might be.

See, we have been hearing about the Knicks chasing a trade for the proverbial “final piece of the puzzle” since… Julius Randle arrived? Since RJ Barrett and Randle looked like a great pairing to bundle in a package for said player? Since the front office built a monster war chest of first-round draft picks? It’s been so long I don’t even know.

Then, obviously, the Knicks started to empty the tank a bit last winter sending Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby. Great trade, but not quite the one for the supposed “superstar.”

After that, New York went all-in, literally crossed the bridge, and dumped five first-round picks on Brooklyn’s table to get Mikal Bridges out of there so he could play in NYC once and for all. That had to be it, right? But still—with all due respect to Mikal—it’s not that you or me or anyone would consider Bridges a top-tier player in this League, am I wrong?

Finally, Leon Rose did the unthinkable and somehow, someway, landed what then-and-there felt like the ultimate superstar and true final piece of the puzzle in Karl-Anthony Towns.

But not even all of that maneuvering, a roster packed full of talented players, and a hella tight cap situation, are preventing next-level rumors from hitting New York shores. Sheesh…

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Now, for one, Giannis is under contract through 2027 with a $67 million player option for the 2028 season. That’s $67 million per season. As things stand, nobody makes more than $55 million this year. Nobody would make more than $59 million next season. Nobody would make more than $63 million in 2027, and Giannis and Anthony Davis are the only two players that could reach $67 in 2028.

For two, even the ultra-over-paid Knick OG will only be bagging $45 million on an increasing deal by the 2028 season.

And yes, you can always aggregate salaries, or even flip Towns for Giannis in what would be an absolutely left-field move by the FO—but hey, it’s Rose here, which is the embodiment of the whole “Expect The Unexpected” movement—albeit no man in New York other than Jalen Brunson is safe from getting moved.

I wasn’t even interested in writing about this thing when I first got Stein’s newsletter in my inbox, because everything sounded so evidently impossible to me the minute I read the report.

We might not have Woj anymore, but thank God we still got the ubiquitous Source, who came just a few hours after Stein’s column to prove me right, not wrong.

New York’s interest, a “source” familiar with the Knicks’ situation told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that it’s “very unlikely” the team could assemble a package competitive with those of other teams.

It’s so simple, folks: the Knicks’ trades for Towns and Bridges depleted their draft and player assets, and unless—let me repeat, never say never—the front office is using KAT as a mere trading card, then you can forget about MSG gracing the two-time MVP decked out in Orange & Blue threads.

“Of course, the Knicks just unloaded the vast majority of their assets to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, making it difficult to match offers the Bucks would field.

“As a result, a source deemed it “very unlikely” the Knicks can find a way to land Antetokounmpo.” — Stefan Bondy

Antetokounmpo, for his part, has publicly remained committed to turning things around in Milwaukee, even after the team’s shaky start to the season, and as much as the situation is getting twisted and framed.

If you want a real reason to get excited this season, following this report, and related to Giannis and the Knicks, focus on this: New York is 3-2 coming off appearing in an ECSF Game 7; Milwaukee is 1-5 after crashing out of the first round.

So let’s move on and enjoy Knicks basketball.