While the good news for the New York Knicks is that Giannis Antetokounmpo could become available once again, the bad news is that they no longer hold the inside track. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks will no longer engage exclusively with New York in any potential trade scenarios for the two-time NBA MVP.
“If the Bucks are open to discussing Antetokounmpo with teams, the Knicks will no longer have the exclusive negotiating window as his preferred destination,” Charania wrote.
This marks a significant shift in leverage. In October, the Knicks were viewed as the lone preferred landing spot outside Milwaukee, engaging in what Charania described as an “exclusive negotiating window.” No deal advanced, however, and the opportunity dissolved as quickly as it emerged.
Missed Opportunity: Knicks’ Trade Positioning Questioned
At the time, Milwaukee insisted they weren’t intent on moving Antetokounmpo — yet internally believed New York failed to present a serious enough offer to continue negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Bucks entered the season positioned as contenders after aggressively stretching and waiving Damian Lillard to create room for Myles Turner. Instead, Milwaukee sits 10–15 and is clinging to 10th in the East, prompting renewed questions about Antetokounmpo’s long-term outlook.
“The writing is on the wall,” one league source familiar with the Bucks’ dynamic with Antetokounmpo told Charania.
GettyKarl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks grabs the rebound before Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fox32 Chicago’s Lou Canellis added sharp context, reporting that the Knicks’ offer was a non-starter for Milwaukee.
“Knicks wouldn’t move off — would not offer more than just Karl-Anthony Towns,” Canellis said on 670 The Score.
What Stopped the Knicks From Going All-In
SNY’s Ian Begley noted Wednesday that the Knicks understood the price of acquiring Antetokounmpo — and the risk attached to paying it.
“It would take Giannis forcing the issue, or Milwaukee working with him on the way out,” Begley said, adding the latter seems unlikely.
Further complicating New York’s leverage at the time:
Jalen Brunson was deemed untouchable, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Mikal Bridges could not be included because of his contract extension.
The Knicks were wary of sacrificing multiple starters, which could leave them top-heavy and asset-strapped.
Their situation today is more complicated.
After aggressively trading for Towns and Bridges, the Knicks do not possess deep draft capital and lack the blue-chip young talent that Milwaukee — if forced into a post-Giannis rebuild — would demand.
Did the Knicks Misread the Moment?
Adding intrigue to the missed opportunity, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Antetokounmpo believed a Knicks trade was “close” last summer — and that he continues to be drawn to the Knicks’ cultural identity and fan atmosphere, which he sees as reflective of his upbringing in Greece.
“There’s a strong belief leaguewide that Antetokounmpo desires one destination above all the rest,” Fischer wrote. “New York.”
And in a twist, the Knicks no longer hold that perceived advantage.
What was once an exclusive runway is now shaping into a full-scale bidding war — one where New York’s limited draft assets and lack of elite young talent could leave them outbid.
Knicks Face New Reality in Giannis Sweepstakes
The Knicks are no longer negotiating from a position of privilege. To land Antetokounmpo — if he ultimately seeks a trade — New York may have to pay more than they were once willing to part with.
And this time, they won’t be the only ones in line.
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