Ahead of a potentially historic NBA offseason, the New York Knicks are one of many teams looking to make some major roster adjustments. While their flexibility is still somewhat limited, the latest rumblings out of New York indicate they are preparing to make a seismic trade that could help them land their biggest star since Carmelo Anthony.
“Could there be a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Jason Kidd reunion in New York? There’s a report that the Knicks are asking Dallas officials for permission to speak to Kidd about their vacant head coaching position,” wrote league insider Gery Woelfel. “Yesterday, I was told the Knicks are preparing to make a tsunami-type offer to acquire Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. Kidd once coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.”
Fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks just had their best season in decades, but it still wasn’t enough to satisfy their ambitions. After losing 4-2 to the Pacers, the Knicks know that they need some changes to become a championship-level team, but there is still some uncertainty on what those changes will look like.
While some are calling for the Knicks to upgrade their supporting cast and bench, it seems they intend to go the other way instead: trade some of their depth for a franchise superstar. At 30 years old, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in the prime of his career, and he’s a player who can take the Knicks to the next level. With his future in Milwaukee growing increasingly unclear, he has emerged as one of the Knicks’ primary trade targets this summer, and it’s no secret that he may be connected to their recent pursuit of Jason Kidd.
With a package centered around Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride, and the Knicks’ 2030 first-round pick (in exchange for Giannis and Pat Connaughton from the Bucks), the trade could work for both teams and take them a step closer to their goals next season. The trade would require major sacrifice and risk for New York, but the potential benefits would be franchise-altering with Antetokounmpo’s dominating interior presence next to star point guard and Clutch Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson.
As the biggest market in the league and a team close to contention, it’s no surprise that Giannis has an interest in the Knicks, and there’s reason to believe he can be very effective there. With averages of 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in the 2024-25 campaign, Giannis is one of the best in the world, and his impact on the court is made in various ways.
As an NBA champion, 9x All-Star, 9x All-NBA player, and 2x MVP, Antetokounmpo has already proven himself as a generational athlete, and that’s exactly the kind of player the Knicks need to maximize their title chances. After watching their team come so close, only to fail, the Knicks are eager to move up and join the ranks of the Celtics and Pacers as champions of the East, but the cost will be massive.
Giannis, meanwhile, gets to have a fresh start with the Knicks and take his brand to the city of New York. There, he can compete for championships with a chance to make franchise history. It’d be a lucrative situation for Giannis, and it may be his best path forward after continued failures with the Bucks.
