Paul Pierce Warns Knicks About Possible Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Karl-Anthony Towns has been struggling all month, and the trade whispers are getting louder. Every time he misses a shot or the New York Knicks drop a game, Giannis Antetokounmpo's name pops up in trade discussions. But one former champion thinks New York needs to relax.

Paul Pierce went on the No Fouls Given podcast and made his case against a mid-season blockbuster. The Celtics legend has watched enough playoff runs to know when teams are making mistakes out of fear.

"This is not a situation you dive in in the middle of the season when you're trying to contend for a championship. These type of moves are done in the offseason," Pierce said.

The timing matters more than people realize. Pierce pointed to last season's Pacers as proof that regular season struggles don't predict playoff success. Indiana looked shaky for months before making their Finals run.

"I think you judge them off as playoffs. Like yeah, they've been up and down regular season. Everybody feel like they should be on top of the East but then like we saw Indiana run from whatever seed to the finals and everything quieted around," Pierce explained.

Towns is the reason everyone's talking trades in the first place. He's averaging just around 16 points this month on terrible shooting, and the Knicks internal issues could make a Giannis trade more likely, with tension reportedly building inside the organization. That's where Pierce thinks the front office needs to take a breath.

Paul Pierce Says Knicks Already Have Pieces to Win

Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point shot against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When asked directly what the Knicks are missing to compete for a championship, Pierce didn't hesitate.

"They're missing nothing. They got everything to win and come out of the East now," Pierce declared.

That's a strong statement considering how Towns has looked lately. But Pierce's logic is based on watching teams blow up rosters during bad stretches and regret it later. The Knicks are still 30-18 and tied for second place in the East. They made the Conference Finals last year and won the NBA Cup just weeks ago.

His warning comes at an interesting moment. ESPN's Shams Charania reported this week that the Bucks are now listening to offers for Giannis after months of saying he wasn't available. The two-time MVP has reportedly told Milwaukee he's ready for a new home, and the Knicks are preparing aggressive offers ahead of the February 5 deadline.

"Like no dude, we are judged on what we do in the playoffs and then we build from what we got. We're right there. We're right there. Let's build on what we got," Pierce continued.

Any Giannis deal would gut the roster. Towns would head to Milwaukee along with rotation players and multiple draft picks. Pierce's concern is that kind of shake-up destroys chemistry when you need it most. Plus, Giannis is dealing with a calf injury expected to keep him out for weeks.

The Knicks have now won five-straight games after taking down the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 30. Towns grabbed 22 rebounds in the team's blowout win over Toronto on Jan. 28 despite his scoring slump continuing.

They're winning games even with Towns struggling, which reinforces Pierce's entire argument. Why trade away your depth when you're already figuring out how to win?

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