Knicks Should Pull Trigger on Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Idea

The New York Knicks are being smothered in trade ideas for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as rumors begin to swirl of the possibility of him heading to the Big Apple.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey suggested a trade that would send Antetokounmpo to the Knicks for Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacôme Dadiet, a 2028 first-round pick swap, a 2030 first-round pick swap, a 2032 first-round pick swap and seven second-round picks.

"If the Knicks wanted to entice the Bucks without wrangling a third team and its draft picks, they'd have to give up just about every shred of assets they have left," Bailey wrote.

"... The pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 are already burdened by swaps with other teams. By the time those are settled, there may not be any value in Milwaukee actually making the swaps. They might only move the Bucks up a pick or two. But that's better than nothing. And though second-round picks may not carry a ton of weight individually, seven is an awful lot of shots on dark-horse prospects or potential sweeteners for future trades."

"As for Towns, he's a solid potential building block for the next era of Bucks basketball, although he's far from a perfect fit with Myles Turner. If the idea was to follow up a Giannis trade with a full-scale rebuild, unloading both of those big men could lead to a pretty significant haul of picks and/or young players."

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates a made basket. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Should Knicks Trade KAT For Giannis?

The Knicks are a team on the precipice of reaching the NBA Finals and Jalen Brunson isn't getting any younger. The team needs to maximize its potential whenever the opportunity arises.

A year ago, the Knicks did that when they acquired Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, giving New York an upgrade. If there's a chance Antetokounmpo is available, they may not get another chance to get that top-dollar co-star for Brunson.

In a world where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have the potential to be a dynasty, the Knicks have to shoot their shot. While Antetokounmpo isn't available at this time, the Knicks should keep an eye on that situation in case he changes his mind.

The Knicks should monitor how the Bucks are performing during the season in hopes that they will falter in the Eastern Conference standings, prompting Antetokounmpo to ask Milwaukee for a blockbuster trade to New York.

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