In a rare championship-or-bust season, the 14-7 New York Knicks will be pursuing trades to bolster their top-end talent.
New York previously whiffed on their first opportunity to complete that mission by failing to advance trade talks to land 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks this past summer, but the franchise has been gifted a second chance.
Though the Knicks have been granted another opportunity to get a franchise-altering deal across the finish line thanks to Antetokounmpo's reported displeasure in Milwaukee, it might come in the form of a multi-team trade with another aspiring contender.
In fact, a gargantuan trade proposal from CBS Sports' Sam Quinn has the Knicks landing Milwaukee's disgruntled legend in a star-studded deal including the Golden State Warriors.
Quinn's historic hypothetical trade includes Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony and Kyle Kuzma joining the Knicks, Mikal Bridges and Gary Trent Jr. Heading to the Warriors and the Bucks walking away with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, Deuce McBride and a treasure trove of first-round draft picks and pick swaps from both Golden State and New York.
"This is a best-case scenario for the Knicks," Quinn wrote Thursday.
"They'd be able to keep OG Anunoby, their superior wing. Losing McBride would sting, but the Bucks would want his cheap contract."
"In an honest bidding war, the Knicks lose."
"But if Antetokounmpo is willing to make things uncomfortable for the Bucks, they might not have a choice."
Simply put, the 30-year-old Bucks legend has plenty of leverage in this situation. If his true desire is to play for the Knicks, Milwaukee's front office would be doing him a disservice by refusing to oblige.
The 2021 NBA champion and Finals MVP contributed 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while knocking down an absurd career-best 63.9% of his field goal attempts in 17 games this season before suffering a calf strain against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, doing his best to captain a faltering Bucks roster.
Pairing the 7-time All-NBA First Team selection with 2-time All-Star Jalen Brunson in New York could be of the utmost importance for a Knicks team desperate to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, but the potential union will come with a price.
Losing both Towns and the NBA's top iron man Mikal Bridges would heavily deplete the Knicks' three-point shooting talent and remove a massive chunk from their defensive core, though their ability to retain 2023 All-Defensive Second Team selection OG Anunoby would make that tough pill a bit easier to swallow.
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