It wouldn't be an NBA trade season without the New York Knicks being linked to a star. What sets this year apart is that the Knicks could very well land one. New York has been linked to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and appears to be on the short list of teams that could actually land him.
Even though they are short on picks, they could still cobble together enough assets to potentially land him. The first of the two most obvious trade packages would include OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Deuce McBride in a deal either for Giannis directly or in a potential three-team move.
Another trade would see the Knicks move Karl-Anthony Towns to either Milwaukee or a third team. Either trade would be a massive move in-season that could radically alter New York's roster.
The upside is that they'd be acquiring one of the three best players in the NBA, and he could be a lethal fit next to Jalen Brunson and whatever players are left. The downside is that they would either be giving up a star in Towns or sacrificing depth by trading an Anunoby, Hart and McBride
The Knicks may finally land Giannis Antetokounmpo with his help
While other teams could offer picks, the Knicks have a clear ace up their sleeve: Giannis. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Giannis will provide the Bucks with a list of teams that he'd be willing to play for, and Milwaukee would be forced to take the best offers available.
If that's a one-team list, then the Knicks could possibly get away with trading Anunoby, Hart, and McBride or just Towns for Giannis. Either move could swing the pendulum of power in the Eastern Conference for the next several seasons.
After all, the Eastern Conference appears to be up for grabs, with the Boston Celtics having retooled as they await the return of star Jayson Tatum. They've previously dominated the East but face an uncertain future.
If the Knicks were to land Giannis and pair him with Jalen Brunson and possibly even Towns, then that could be more than enough for them to dominate the East and all but ensure a trip to at least the Eastern Conference Finals, if not the NBA Finals, this season and beyond.
Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Giannis, and Towns would be a great starting point to making the Knicks a championship contender for the next three or four seasons. There is a major cost concern with Brunson, Giannis, and Towns all on max contracts, and Bridges getting paid $39+ million.
However, with the Knicks pretty much out of picks, some of the penalties of being a second apron team aren't as much of a concern. They could simply sign veterans to minimum contracts in the offseason to build around that core four.
The Knicks would do so, knowing that if healthy, they have more than enough talent to go to the NBA Finals if they were to land Giannis. That is the Knicks' dream at least, but it seems to be much closer to reality than ever before.