The New York Knicks plan to be aggressive in their pursuit for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. However, do they have enough assets to get a deal done midseason?
Knicks may not have enough to offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
New York currently does not have a tradeable first-round pick, but they would have up to two in the offseason. Milwaukee has indicated that they are not rushing to get a deal done and are willing to wait until the offseason to move their franchise star.
SNY’s Ian Begley indicated that teams around the league don’t view the Knicks as a legitimate threat in the sweepstakes.
“Speaking of better offers, several teams on Thursday saw the Knicks as on the outside looking in with regard to a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade,” Begley wrote.
Knicks may need to wait until the offseason to make a splash
New York would likely need to get a third team involved in a deal to make a trade happen midseason. Begley noted the San Antonio Spurs as a possible team to be included in a deal, and there have been rumblings about the Portland Trail Blazers possibly being involve too.
However, the Bucks know that they can get a better offer if they wait until the offseason. It would appear more likely that Antetokounmpo will remain in a Bucks uniform past the deadline, which would set the stage for an all-out bidding war in the summer.
The Knicks will likely target smaller upgrades to improve their depth instead. Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi, and Naji Marshall remain as the top candidates on their radar.