The New York Knicks enter the 2025-26 season with the fourth-shortest odds to win the NBA championship, and the most expectations they’ve had to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy since the turn of the century.
While the team, as constructed, is primed to represent the East in the NBA Finals, it may be a piece away from dethroning the reigning champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Enter Giannis Antetokounmpo, the nine-time All-Star, two-time MVP and 2022 NBA Finals MVP, who is rumored to become available at the trade deadline.
Sports Illustrated’s Jake Brown floated an ambitious trade that would see the Knicks part with All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for “The Greek Freak.”
Knicks would receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks would receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Kolek, two first-round draft picks
The Move that Guarantees an NBA Title
If the Knicks can pair Antetokounmpo with All-Star guard Jalen Brunson and dynamic 3-and-D wings Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, they will become the overwhelming favorites not just to win the East, but potentially the NBA title.
“Giannis would give the Knicks a premier one-two punch with him and Brunson,” wrote Brown, while reflecting on New York’s loss to the Pacers in the 2025 playoffs.
“Late in games, it felt like it was mostly Brunson doing the heavy lifting, being the Knicks Captain Clutch. Giannis would really give them another option to hand the ball and let him get to work. His downfall has been the free-throw line, but he can cause plenty of foul problems for opponents and give the Knicks some flexibility down the stretch of games.”
To Brown’s point, Antetokounmpo’s late-game free-throw woes may not be an issue for a Knicks team that already has a certified closer in Brunson, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year. Furthermore, Antetokounmpo could focus on being a defender and a playmaker in crucial moments rather than forcing his way to the basket, which often proved to be a burden for both himself and the Milwaukee Bucks in recent years.
Bucks Get a Star to Build Around
The Bucks are unlikely to trade Antetokounmpo unless it’s for a player of KAT’s caliber. Towns averaged 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds for the Knicks last season, numbers that earned him a spot in the All-NBA Third Team.
“Karl-Anthony Towns would give the Bucks a bit more shooting ability in a big man,” wrote Brown. “They added Myles Turner as their center in the offseason, which would give them two big men that can shoot from downtown. Towns has an almost identical contract to Giannis, where the numbers would easily work in a trade. Towns has two years left and a $61 million player option for 2027-2028.
“The Bucks would also get a young backup guard in 24-year-old Tyler Kolek, who is under contract for two more years plus a club option for $2.5 million in 2027-2028. Plus, they would get two future first-round draft picks from the Knicks. This would make the loss of Giannis a bit easier to stomach. It’s still a massive trade and change for the organization, but getting a star like KAT, a young guard and draft picks would be a nice return.”
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