The New York Knicks are two steps away from landing Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer.
With New York down 3-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the 2024-25 season is all but finished, and with it, the idea that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns can lead New York to a championship in the near future.
For Brunson and KAT, if not now, when? The Knicks held home-court advantage with a fully healthy roster, but the Pacers simply have their number.
The good news for New York is that the Eastern Conference promises to be incredibly weak again in 2025-26. While running things back with Brunson and KAT would only lead to another playoff run short of the NBA Finals, the Knicks can immediately leapfrog Indiana by acquiring Giannis.
It’s not a mystery that Antetokounmpo is open to leaving Milwaukee, and it’s also well-known that he’d prefer to play in a big market like New York.
By abandoning the Brunson-KAT duo and pairing Brunson with Giannis instead, the Knicks could set themselves up to reach the NBA Finals in 2026. Keep in mind that the Boston Celtics are going to be severely diminished next season without Jayson Tatum.
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On Wednesday, during a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons outlined very clearly how the Knicks could acquire Giannis — by trading Mikal Bridges to the San Antonio Spurs for valuable draft capital and then trading that draft capital and Towns to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo.
Simmons senses that the Spurs are interested in acquiring Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant but might be better off adding Bridges, opening up the door for the Knicks to initiate their "Acquire Giannis" masterplan.
“I just wonder … instead of Durant, who was in the 2007 draft … and has been around for a long, long time … (does) it make more sense (for the Spurs) to target somebody like Bridges?” Simmons said.
“And then if you're the Knicks, could you send Bridges (to San Antonio) for picks and (then) send those picks with Towns for Giannis and basically turn Towns and Bridges into Giannis?"
“I can't believe we're talking about this when this (ECF) series isn't over. I was just thinking … if Giannis is really out there and you're the Knicks, you have to kick the tires on it.”
A core of Brunson, Giannis, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart would be scarier than New York’s current lineup, that’s for sure.
If the Knicks have the chance to pull this plan off, they should do everything in their power to make it happen.
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