NBA Mock Trade: Giannis Antetokounmpo Gets Dealt To New York Knicks

Breaking down an NBA mock trade that sends Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the New York Knicks.

Jan 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walks from the court following the game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Following one of the wildest trade deadlines in NBA history last season, where the Dallas Mavericks moved off their franchise player, Luka Doncic, this trade deadline has a chance to generate similar noise. The same guy who reported this monumental Doncic trade last year, NBA insider Shams Charania, just reported that the Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OejatbQjDy

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2026

There have been rumblings for a while regarding Antetokounmpo moving on from Milwaukee, but nothing close to any legitimate report like this. With him being known to be open to a trade, teams will be throwing everything they have to get the two-time MVP, finals MVP, and 10-time All-Star. One team that could put forth a meaningful offer is the New York Knicks.

New York currently has a record of 28-18, slotting them in third in the standings of the Eastern Conference. While this is a solid place to sit at this point in the season, it would not be shocking for the Knicks to make a run at Antetokounmpo. They have a star-level talent that could help match the massive salary of Antetokounmpo, along with a decent chunk of draft capital to pair in a deal.

Bringing Antetokounmpo to The Big Apple may be the boost that gets the Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Milwaukee Bucks-New York Knicks Mock Trade

Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Bucks Receive:

C Karl-Anthony Towns

SF OG Anunoby

PG Tyler Kolek

2026 First Round Pick (via WAS), 2028 First Round Pick (via NYK), 2030 First Round Pick (via NYK), 2032 First Round Pick (via NYK)

Knicks Receive:

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo

PF Kyle Kuzma

Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Bucks

The Bucks in this mock move off their star player with a dream return. They get three players who have shown they can lead to winning basketball, especially the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Both have been vital to the Knicks' recent success, and were big in helping their prior teams reach the postseason–Anunoby with the Toronto Raptors and Towns with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The addition of these players, along with the Bucks getting an intriguing guard in Tyler Kolek, allows Milwaukee to remain competitive instead of going into full rebuild mode. And while still competing, they get back a big draft haul to bring them the potential of sustained success for the future of their organization. They get this by receiving four first-round picks in this mock deal, one coming from a bad Washington Wizards team.

Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Knicks

This mock is a big gamble for New York, but it may be well worth it. They get Antetokounmpo, who, when healthy, has been one of the better playoff performers over the last decade. The Knicks, with many of their core players at the start or middle of their prime, who are still on their roster after this mock— Jalen Brunson (29), Mikal Bridges (29), Josh Hart (30), and Mitchell Robinson (27)--have the traits and level of play to reach new postseason heights now paired with Antetokounpo, that they may have been unable to reach before this mock deal. 

The Knicks do lose a valuable piece with Anunoby getting moved to the Bucks in this mock, but although they do not get the same level player in return, they get a decent replacement in Kyle Kuzma. One upside of Kuzma over Anunoby is availability. Kuzma has played at least 60 regular-season games in all eight seasons (not including the current regular season) he has been in the NBA. In the eight seasons Anunoby has played in his career, he has played 50 or fewer games three times.