The New York Knicks are reportedly monitoring the possibility of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo wanting to leave the Milwaukee Bucks.
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst discussed the situation Friday on First Take, noting that while the Knicks have "97 percent" of their attention on their second-round playoff opponent in the Miami Heat, "3 percent" of their attention is on Giannis and the Bucks:
NBACentral @TheNBACentralBrian Windhorst says the Knicks are monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo's situation in Milwaukee<br><br>"The New York Knicks, for example, they got 97 percent of their attention on the Miami Heat, three percent of their attention on Milwaukee."<br><br>(<a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@awfulannouncing</a>)<a href="https://t.co/CrvxNB4EL2">pic.twitter.com/CrvxNB4EL2</a>
Windhorst expanded on his comment, saying:
"There is no indication he has given that he wants to leave. But if he doesn't extend, it's a major red flag for what's going on with the organization. He's going to sit there and watch whether they're going to sign [Brook] Lopez and [Khris] Middleton and I'm not sure they're going to be able to do it."
The top-seeded Bucks were shocked by the No. 8 Heat and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. As a result, the organization fired head coach Mike Budenholzer just two years after he led Milwaukee to a championship.
While there had been speculation about Antetokounmpo wanting to leave Milwaukee previously, he signed a five-year, $228.2 million max extension in 2020.
Giannis is under contract through at least the 2024-25 season, but he can become a free agent in 2025 if he declines his player option.
The 28-year-old Antetokounmpo is among the top players in the game and has already built a Hall of Fame resume with seven All-Star selections, two NBA MVP awards, one NBA championship and one NBA Finals MVP award.
He has put up dominant numbers over the past several seasons and enjoyed one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2022-23, averaging a career-high 31.1 points per game to go along with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
All signs pointed toward the Bucks going on a deep playoff run and potentially winning another title, but Giannis missed two of their five playoff games due to injury, and they were unable to get back on track even after he returned.
The Knicks returned to the playoffs this season after missing out in 2022, largely thanks to the arrival of free-agent signee Jalen Brunson and resurgence of Julius Randle.
New York knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, and it is tied 1-1 in its second-round series against Miami.
The Knicks may be building something special and have a great deal of young, developing talent on their roster, but acquiring Antetokounmpo would almost certainly speed up their timeline for winning a championship.
New York has not reached the NBA Finals since 1999 and has not won a championship since 1973, so there is a level of desperation to get back in title contention.
Trading for Antetokounmpo would cost the Knicks a ton of quality assets, but landing a player of his caliber is not an opportunity that presents itself often.
The Knicks have tried and failed to sign other massive stars in recent years, such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, so if it turns out that Giannis wants to leave Milwaukee, the Knicks will likely be the first team in line trying to secure him.
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May 06, 2023 at 01:56AM
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Windhorst: Knicks Monitoring Giannis' Status with Bucks After MIL's 1st-Round Exit - Bleacher Report
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