Knicks Star Looks Like Obvious Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Bait

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes have begun, and the New York Knicks stand at the forefront of outsiders most likely to offer the Milwaukee Bucks superstar a new home.

ESPN insider Shams Charania reported on December 3 that the future Hall of Fame forward has "started conversations" with Bucks management in determining whether he's best-fit long-term in Milwaukee. And according to various reports, he'd rather end up a Knick than anything else.

Brian Windhorst on who will call MIL for Giannis:

"It'll be Giannis instructing the Bucks where he wants to be traded and the Bucks trying to make the best possible deal with that team...you can put whatever verbiage...[in the summer] he basically said 'I want to be a Knick.'"
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) December 3, 2025

The two-time MVP had requested out as early as before the season started, and the rest of his unimpressive roster has done little to interest him in yet another extension. They're off to a 10-13 start to the season, well short of the contender-status that he's grown accustomed to. The Knicks, on the other hand, sit at 14-7 with a talented-enough roster to capture some of the best NBA Finals odds of any squad out east.

Antetokounmpo's interest in New York made for a notable offseason storyline, but the spiraling Bucks make these rumors feel more believable than ever before.

Now, a familiar hypothetical returns to the surface; should the Knicks pull the trigger on bringing him to the country's biggest market, they'll need to part with some meaningful assets of their own, and one name clearly sticks out above the rest.

Locating the Odd-Knick Out

Karl-Anthony Towns would have to be the centerpiece of the move, and the Knicks have quietly made him available for trade talks in their own way. Every other extension-eligible core piece on the team's already been signed off for the remainder of the 2020s; Jalen Brunson inked his infamously-skimpy contract that extends for three more full seasons, while wing running-mates OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have been similarly-invested in as New York's grown accustomed to perennial playoff runs.

New York Knicks Center Karl-Anthony Towns — Nov 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looks to shoot as he is defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Despite Towns landing with the team in the summer of 2024, right around the same time as Bridges, he's yet to feel those same extension talks heat up despite his own eligibility coming up.

It's not as if he can just walk when he wants, as he's still now slated to enter free agency until 2029, but it is fascinating that the all-in Knicks, who have an entire roster of players who fit KAT's timeline with a team built with his success in mind, have suddenly sounded cap-strung.

Making the Money Work

It's hard to ignore that his and Antetokounmpo's annual salaries line up fairly evenly in the high-$55 million range. Towns hasn't helped his case this season with streakier play than usual, and he's yet to publicly buy into Mike Brown's offense amidst his rocky success as a scorer and floor-spacer.

One-for-one trades are fairly rare given how value varies among moving parts, and the Knicks would have to attach a few picks in clinching a deal for the superior player. Luckily for them, they own the majority of their trade-eligible first-round picks, including one in the upcoming draft.

Milwaukee Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball as Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (22) looks on in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Such a trade would relieve Brunson of the overwhelming clutch-time burden he's been placed under in recent years, even if he'd sustain as the perimeter closer. Antetokounmpo, already the best player out east, would elevate the Knicks from a probable contender into arguably the best non-Oklahoma City Thunder squad, making for the kind of swap that the Knicks will find tough to resist.

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