Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Knicks Have '3 Percent' Of Attention on Bucks' Sale, Giannis Antetokounmpo Situation
In this story:
The last thing the New York Knicks needs is a Giannis Antetokounmpo-sized distraction as their NBA playoff trek continues in Miami on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, however, perhaps laid out such a trap on Friday.
Appearing on the Worldwide Leader's "First Take" on Friday, Windhorst embarked on a lengthy monologue about the state of the Milwaukee Bucks, whose recent run of prosperity has been headlined by Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP affectionately referred to as the "Greek Freak." Since the 2018-19 season, Antetokounmpo has guided the Bucks to the most wins in the NBA (271, besting runners-up Denver and Philadelphia by 23 games) and the 2021 championship, the team's first in 50 years.
But the Buck literally stopped here in the NBA postseason: Milwaukee posted the best record in the Association this season (58-24) but was ousted from the postseason in five games by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, denying them a second-round matchup with the fifth-seeded Knicks. The loss came shortly after the NBA approved the partial sale of the franchise from Marc Lasry to Jimmy and Dee Haslem, the co-owners of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Head coach Mike Budenholzer was also dismissed after five seasons.
The relative chaos in Milwaukee, which also includes looming roster decisions on Brook Lopez (2023 free agent) and Khris Middleton (2023-24 player option), was enough for the Knicks to at least take a passing glance on Antetokounmpo's feelings on the potential upheaval, Windhorst said.
"The New York Knicks ... they've got 97 percent of their attention on the Miami Heat (and) three percent off their attention on Milwaukee. What's going on over there?" Windhorst says, much to the visible delight of co-panelist and Knicks fan/critic Stephen A. Smith. Windhorst says that there's no indication that Antetokounmpo wants out and that the Bucks will likely do anything they can to keep their franchise face. He nonetheless calls any form of such hesitation on Antetokounmpo's part "one of the biggest storylines in the NBA."
Antetokounmpo is signed with Milwaukee through the 2024-25 season, with a $51.9 million player option for 2025-26 after that. He's eligible for an extension potentially worth much as $173 million in September.
Smith immediately goes to work after Windhorst ends his rant, playing general manager for the Knicks, mentioning that the Knicks "are in a position to trim $60 million off of their cap." He doesn't mention where that number comes from but he could potentially be referring to the large extensions bestowed to Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. Smith also declares that superstars often find their way out of undesirable situations before things get drastically worse and also brings up the classic argument that the allure of New York (or Los Angeles) could convince Antetokounmpo to think of a change of scenery.
"If it ain't L.A., it's New York," Smith declares. "I don't rule out the possibility of Giannis wanting to come to New York at all." He does, however, fail to sway another panelist, Kendrick Perkins, who believes Antetokounmpo is destined to don antler-branded apparel for the long haul.
Considering they're not facing him in the conference semifinals, the Knicks are probably uninterested in any Antetokounmpo discussions for the time being. But the Friday discussion on "First Take" is likely the first of many Antetokounmpo conversations that will invoke the Knicks' name and the only thing that will likely hold that off is further success in the ongoing postseason.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.
Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.
