The Knicks have emerged as a top-three landing destination preference for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has reportedly wanted to play in New York for some time now. Any projected trades that the Knicks can figure out to land the Bucks’ superstar would naturally include their starting power forward, Karl-Anthony Towns.
According to Sam Amick, a senior writer with The Athletic, Towns has harbored some hard feelings towards the Knicks front office for including him in potential offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Just ask the Knicks, whose talks with the Bucks about Antetokounmpo last summer led to hard feelings with Karl-Anthony Towns that, per team sources, remain to this day.”
“That’s the double-doozy that every team seeks to avoid — the failure to land the player they’re pursuing that is followed by a step backward, relationship-wise, with the player who learned he was nearly sent packing in the process,” wrote Amick in his recent report.
While the trade rumors have gained momentum right now, they had sparked up as early as last summer when the Bucks’ superstar was reportedly open to considering a future away from Milwaukee.
Subsequently, it was reported that the Knicks and the Bucks’ front offices had shared discussions of the Knicks’ potential offers that would land Antetokounmpo in New York. Naturally, they included Karl-Anthony Towns in the discussions due to the financial viability, more than just the fit issues.
Towns is the highest earner on the Knicks’ roster that is already stacked with expensive contracts. He is expected to earn $57.1 million in the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo has a $58.4 million salary for that same level.
But the Knicks forward needs to understand the brutality of this business and that he is not on the same level as Antetokounmpo in terms of business asset value. A direct trade is out of the question as the Bucks’ front office would likely not do a direct swap of Antetokounmpo for Towns.
And Antetokounmpo would definitely be an upgrade for the Knicks, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He is currently averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on a 64.5% efficiency from the field and 39.5% efficiency from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
While Towns shoots from range at a much higher volume than Antetokounmpo, Antetokounmpo is significantly more efficient and productive than Towns. Moreover, Towns is slowly seeing reduced minutes as the Knicks may have begun viewing him as a defensive liability.
At the end of the day, this is a cold business for the Knicks, who could reportedly trigger a three-team trade to make this blockbuster move happen.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Or Bucks’ Front Office: Who Has The Leverage?
Antetokounmpo probably does not hold all the cards now, as he has one more season left on his contract and does not have a no-trade clause, so the Bucks don’t necessarily have to listen to him. But as his contract nears expiration, he is expected to have a lot more leverage in the summer.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Bucks are not in a rush to get the deals done, so we may not see any trade news on Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline. But as we approach the summer of 2026, the power dynamics will begin to shift.
“The Bucks have, though, told interested teams that we’re not in a rush, that we are fine taking this into the offseason and dealing with this then. But the closer you get to the offseason, the more actual power that Giannis ends up having.”
“Any team that trades for him will want to know, will you be here long-term, and will you sign here long-term or not?” said Charania during a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Therefore, Towns likely has the rest of the season to prove his value to the front office if Antetokounmpo does not get traded elsewhere before the trade deadline.
If he manages to win a championship with the Knicks this season, then maybe they won’t pull the plug on a potential move in the summer. He can channelize those hard feelings into performing better.
It is understandable that on one hand, he was planning his long-term future with the Knicks, and on the other, they want to trade him. This situation could upset anyone.
However, if Towns wants to hold onto those hard feelings and let it impact his performance negatively, rest assured, this cold business will not spare him. Hence, he needs to remain professional and, if anything, let the hard feelings motivate him to be better every night on the court.
