Bucks Rival ‘Closely Monitoring’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Status in Potential Blockbuster

A major Milwaukee Bucks nemesis is keeping tabs on the trade status of nine-time All-NBA superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Bucks team general manager Jon Horst made some impressively unorthodox moves to kick off the summer, but his backcourt building has been fairly lackluster.

To kick things off, Horst parted ways with former nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. The 35-year-old tore his Achilles tendon during Milwaukee's five-game first-round playoff series defeat to the Indiana Pacers, and was likely to miss the entire 2025-26 season recovering.

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Lillard's absence obviously hurt his tradeability, to the point where Horst decided to stretch and waive his remaining $112.6 million contract. Milwaukee will be on the hook for $22.5 million annually now for the next five seasons, instead of owing Lillard over $50 million across the next two.

So Horst brought in free agent ex-Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner on a four-season, $108.9 million deal. The 6-foot-11 Texas A&M product is a solid contributor on both sides of the hardwood, and represents a clear upgrade over now-L.A. Clippers reserve Brook Lopez.

Per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, the New York Knicks are hoping that Antetokounmpo could become available in a blockbuster deal down the line.

Tackled a few different topics in Part 1
of my Knicks mailbag:

— Giannis
—Mitch
— open roster spot
— Morehttps://t.co/pka1xRdBEC
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) August 5, 2025

“It is my understanding that [New York team president] Leon Rose and company have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation in Milwaukee very closely, even before the offseason started. Many around the league believe the Knicks are interested in star hunting, and while that opportunity hasn’t popped up yet, I certainly believe it’s in the cards if the right situation presents itself.”

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Antetokounmpo, 30, remains an MVP-caliber talent.

In 67 healthy games while leading the 48-34 Bucks, the 6-foot-11 big man averaged 30.4 points on 60.1 percent shooting from the field and 61.7 percent shooting from the free throw line, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals a night.

With or without Antetokounmpo, New York finds itself in prime position to contend for an NBA Finals appearance in the injury-decimated Eastern Conference. But adding the 2021 Finals MVP would handily make the Knicks the class of the conference.

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