After The Ringer’s Zach Lowe stirred discussion with his “semi-plausible” two-for-two trade concept involving the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, the veteran basketball analyst has followed up with another version — one that could reshape how both franchises approach the February trade deadline.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images Is a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster swap in the works?
Lowe’s initial mock trade featured Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma heading to New York in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. His revised version swaps out Anunoby for Mikal Bridges — a deal that would only become possible on Feb. 1, when Bridges becomes trade-eligible, just four days before the Feb. 5 deadline.
“The last one is this: just when Bridges becomes trade-eligible, it’s KAT plus Bridges for Giannis and Kuzma,” Lowe said on The Zach Lowe Show podcast. “With Bridges sliding into Anunoby’s spot, that roster to me is better than the one with Anunoby going out. I trust Anunoby’s outside shooting more than Bridges’, and I actually think Anunoby is a better defender. Bridges has a little more on-ball juice, but we saw that minimized under Thibs (Tom Thibodeau). Maybe it could be maximized this year under Mike Brown — TBD (to be determined).”
Knicks’ Defensive Dilemma
The Knicks acquired both Bridges and Anunoby to counter the Boston Celtics’ duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But with Tatum sidelined long-term, the Eastern Conference hierarchy has shifted. The rise of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder — built on depth, defense, and balance — has given New York new reason to reconsider its star-centric roster.
Lowe argued that Antetokounmpo could solve the Knicks’ most glaring structural weakness: the defensive liability of the Jalen Brunson–Towns pairing in the postseason.
Getty Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks have been hunted on defense during the playoffs.
“I just think the upside of having a top-five player in the NBA, who’s elite — well, he’s slipped a little defensively, but he’s still very, very good — and who solves your one structural flaw of Brunson-KAT being huntable on defense… it’s significant,” Lowe said. “I might never be ready to do it because my initial reaction was to play it conservative. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt you at least need to do a deep dive on this.”
Knicks No Longer Hold the Inside Track
Any such deal would be far more complicated now. The Knicks’ exclusive negotiating window with Milwaukee — granted in August — has officially expired. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks are now open to discussing Antetokounmpo’s future with other contenders if he revisits his situation later this season.
“That window is obviously shut,” Charania said on NBA Today. “We’re not in August anymore — we’re now in October. If things reopen during the season with this whole Giannis Antetokounmpo element, that window is no longer exclusive to the Knicks.”
With that door closed, New York could face stiff competition. Lowe mentioned the Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and both Los Angeles teams as potential suitors — all armed with either deeper draft capital or young talent that could outbid the Knicks.
If Antetokounmpo ever hits the trade market, the Knicks might still have the desire — but no longer the leverage — to make it happen.
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