Fresh off firing coach Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks have a lot of questions to answer this summer. Many of them can be answered by trading for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. That is obviously easier said than done, but not impossible, especially after recent developments.
The three frontrunners for Giannis previously appeared to be the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets. However, none of them appear to be interested, not with the Thunder in the NBA Finals, the Spurs targeting Kevin Durant, and the Rockets seemingly relying on internal development.
Moreover, Giannis reportedly wants to remain in the Eastern Conference, removing 15 teams from the list of potential landing spots. That dramatically increases the Knicks' chances of landing him. Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently mentioned the Knicks could enter the Giannis sweepstakes.
Brian Windhorst on Threads: “I’m not discounting the Celtics and Knicks in the Giannis race” pic.twitter.com/8Gx2XzWEqr
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 29, 2025
Can the New York Knicks land Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The most obvious route would be to trade Karl-Anthony Towns for Giannis straight up, but that almost certainly isn't going to happen. Instead, they could shop him to another team for the assets needed to make a trade with the Bucks.
Bill Simmons of the Ringer recently proposed the framework of a big 3-team deal. The deal would involve sending Mikal Bridges to the Spurs for picks. Along with those assets, Karl-Anthony Towns would be sent to the Bucks, while Giannis would land with the Knicks.
Bridges would give the Spurs a steadying and versatile player who, while not a traditional star, can make a big impact on both ends of the floor. That would only be a possibility if the Durant deal fell through, and they would have to send a player such as Harrison Barnes or Devin Vassell back plus a first or two.
Giannis Antetokounmpo could steer his way to the Knicks
That might be the most the Spurs would be willing to give up in that scenario, which probably won't be enough to entice the Bucks. That's unless the Bucks aren't interested in rebuilding and want to trade Giannis for a star.
That too appears unlikely, but another more likely option is that Giannis decides to play elsewhere and demands to be traded to the Knicks. In that case, he could potentially steer his way to New York. It isn't unprecedented for a star to demand to be traded and try to force their way to a bigger market, and it would be New York's best bet to land Giannis.
Ultimately, Knicks fans shouldn't expect them to land Giannis this summer with other teams still ahead of them. Nevertheless, with the Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets all out and the West off his list of landing spots, the Knicks' odds of trading for Giannis appear to have increased.