Giannis Antetokounmpo Confirms A Top Eastern Conference Team Tried To Trade For Him

For the better part of the past 12 months, there have been constant rumors surrounding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that is expected to continue into the summer, where many believe he could be dealt. Last summer, things reportedly got very close, with speculation that several teams were heavily pursuing the two-time MVP as they looked to boost their NBA Championship odds in 2025/26.

One team that was linked to Antetokounmpo were the New York Knicks, a team that have plenty of assets to deal to Milwaukee in a potential deal. While many insiders have reported on these discussions, we've not heard it from the player himself, but now, Antetokounmpo has officially confirmed that the Knicks were a team that were deep in discussion with the Bucks over a potential trade.

This comes after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Knicks were the only team that Giannis would have accepted a trade too in the summer, but ultimately, the Bucks backed out, hoping the arrival of Myles Turner could have helped them back to being true contenders.

On paper, a pairing of Giannis and Jalen Brunson would be dynamic for the Knicks, but given how much they would have had to give up, they could have decimated their roster, which perhaps played a role in how things ended up playing out. Ultimately though, the relationship is now all but deteriorated between Giannis and the Bucks, and while it may not be the Knicks this time, it's all but expected that he gets dealt in the summer of 2026.