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The New York Knicks still have a realistic path to acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo. It just won’t be open to them until the offseason. So, in that case, we might as well Sharpie them in for a whole lot of nothing heading into the 2026 trade deadline.
At the end of an exhaustive dispatch on the future of Giannis, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line made sure to close with a juicy Knicks tidbit. According to him, the Portland Trail Blazers—who control the rights to the Bucks’ first-rounders in 2028, 2029, and 2030—may “try to butt into, say, Milwaukee/New York talks if Giannis-to-the-Knicks ever got serious.” To top it all off, he closed by noting that “Portland has long admired” Mikal Bridges.”
This intel creates new pathways for the Knicks to pry Giannis out of Milwaukee. They still need him to assert his leverage harder than he did this past summer, but if the Blazers are actually smitten with Bridges, Leon Rose and company are no longer beholden to scenarios in which they’re attempting to steal him using Karl-Anthony Towns, and not much else.
Yet, the latest information also means New York will remain on the hook for Giannis until the summer. And that, in turn, could lead to inaction at the trade deadline.
The Knicks need to conserve trade assets for a Giannis trade
Though Giannis can still be moved before February 5, he’s far more likely to stay put. He just suffered his third calf strain of the season. Teams aren’t going to pony up their best offers while he’s injured. Even if he asks for out, the Bucks are better off waiting until the summer, when more suitors will emerge after flaming out in the playoffs.
Rest assured, even amid a more competitive bidding field, this is good news for the Knicks. If they land the two-time MVP, it won’t be on the pure merits of their offer. They don’t have the draft or prospect equity to rival most other squads. They’ll win the sweepstakes because Giannis decrees it.
Still, his leverage goes only so far. New York can’t hope to acquire him for virtually nothing. It’ll need first-round picks—more than they can hope to get from Portland in a Bridges deal (which can’t happen until February 1).
Fortunately for the Knicks, they’ll have access to two first-rounders on draft night. But that barely begins to scratch the surface. They will need other assets—perhaps Tyler Kolek, Deuce McBride, the Washington Wizards’ 2026 and 2027 second-rounders, additional seconds, first-round swaps, etc.
Preserving these trade chips is critical if the Knicks are serious about making a run at Giannis. And if that’s the case, it winnows down their options at this season’s deadline.
The Knicks may struggle to make even small moves
New York will be hard-pressed to jettison Guerschon Yabusele, for example, without including a sweetener. The same goes for Pacome Dadiet.
Shopping Karl-Anthony Towns even becomes prohibitive. Not only is his trade value lower than most realize, but the Knicks may need his large salary if Milwaukee insists they take back Kyle Kuzma or Myles Turner as part of any deal.
This increases the importance of holding onto Mitchell Robinson by extension. He is a long shot to get dealt as things stand, but shipping him out is a total non-starter if New York can’t be sure whether the center position will be settled without him.
The Knicks may figure out how to strike marginal moves anyway. Leon Rose’s front office is nothing if not active, and creative. But the ceiling on those midseason splashes is now even lower than before if New York removes certain assets from the table.
Select fans won’t be on board with the team prioritizing a player not on the roster—and someone they should, frankly, be long shots to get. That’s fair. But injuries, aging curve and all, this is Giannis we’re talking about.
These Knicks have shown us time and again this season they’re not fit to win a title as currently constructed. They are in no position to skirt the chance, however slim, of nabbing a two-time MVP still in his prime. Keeping that door open isn’t a luxury; it’s an obligation—one that mandates New York embrace the prospect of an uneventful trade deadline.