Knicks Emerge as Favorites to Land Giannis in Blockbuster Trade

The New York Knicks are the odds-on favorites to land Giannis Antetokounmpo should he demand a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks.Sports Betting AG has the Knicks as a +100 favorite, followed by the San Antonio Spurs (+200), Miami Heat (+500), Brooklyn Nets (+600) and the Boston Celtics (+1600) rounding up the top five bets to become Antetokounmpo’s next team.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee remains in doubt.

“We’re standing here, it’s Aug. 4. Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Aug. 4. “And so, he’s going to continue to evaluate his future.

“I reported it in mid-May that he’s evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere. And that process is continuing. There’s been some very real conversations over the past week or so. The constant question that Giannis has, though, is, ‘Can I win a championship with this roster? Is this roster going to be one for this upcoming year and 2026-2027?’ He wants to win a second championship. So, he’s asking that question over and over.”

The Bucks essentially replaced Brook Lopez, who signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, with Myles Turner. And then they got career backup point guard Cole Anthony to fill in the spot left by the injured Damian Lillard, whose remaining $103 million contract was waived and stretched to create cap room to sign Turner.

But those are not needle-movers, which makes Antetokounmpo antsy about his chance to win a coveted second ring.

B/R’s Proposed Giannis-KAT Swap

After news resurfaced that Giannis Antetokounmpo was still 'opened-minded' about his future with the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks were named a top landing spot for the 2021 NBA Finals MVP.
Going to the Knicks without gutting their roster could be his best bet to get back into the NBA Finals.

The Knicks have been monitoring Antetokounmpo’s situation in Milwaukee, per James Edwards III of The Athletic.

If Antetokounmpo becomes available later this offseason, the Knicks can no longer include Mikal Bridges, who just agreed to a four-year, $150 million extension. Bridges is not trade eligible until after six months.

Karl-Anthony Towns, because of his $52.1 million salary, is the most logical choice to headline the Knicks’ outgoing package. However, with the Knicks over the first apron, they cannot send out lower than the money they are receiving back.

They would have to add more salaries.

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has a solution to this potential Knicks dilemma. Rope in a third team.

Here is his proposed three-team deal that could bring Antetokounmpo to New York.

New York Knicks Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Danny Wolf, 2026 first-round swap (NYK), 2028 first-round swap (worst of NYK and BKN), 2030 first-round swap (NYK)

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Josh Hart, 2026 second-round pick (MIL via NYK), 2026 second-round pick (MIN via NYK)

In Hughes’ trade proposal, the Nets will facilitate the trade to absorb the excess salaries —  the remaining three years and $63 million left on Hart’s current deal — with their ton of cap room.

They get two second-round picks and a flippable Hart contract for more draft assets down the road.

Knicks Have Best Player, But Not Best Package for Giannis
The Knicks would have to hope that Antetokounmpo would specifically ask to be traded to New York for this deal to happen. Otherwise, the Bucks can generate a more complete package — a combination of picks, rotation players and young prospects from other teams.

But the Knicks can also bank on the Bucks to prefer having Towns, the best player they could get in return, which would make them competitive, as they do not have control of their own draft picks until 2031 to enter a full-scale rebuild.

For the Knicks, swapping Antetokounmpo for Towns will abandon their five-man out concept. But Antetokounmpo will provide the rim protection that they will never get from Towns.

Hughes adds: Antetokounmpo is “the vastly superior player in virtually every other area” except for the 3-point shot.Hughes adds: Antetokounmpo is “the vastly superior player in virtually every other area” except for the 3-point shot.