Why a Giannis-Knicks Trade Would Flip the NBA on Its Head

A Giannis Antetokounmpo trade request could be coming soon. Recent reports from Shams Charania and other NBA insiders indicate that while Giannis hasn’t officially requested a trade yet, he is heavily considering leaving the Bucks. 

To be fair, Giannis has already given the Bucks organization a lot. The 2021 NBA Championship will last in Bucks fans’ memories forever. Unfortunately, the Bucks haven’t been able to continue building championship rosters around Giannis, which is why he may be headed to greener pastures.

Everyone seems to believe that the most likely Giannis trade destination is the New York Knicks. Giannis’ family just moved back to Athens, and New York City has the only direct flight there daily. Additionally, the Knicks could finally provide the big market that Giannis could really thrive in. 

Assuming Giannis specifically requests a trade to the Knicks, the Bucks won’t have much leverage. Sure, they will still get a nice package from New York, but the Knicks won’t have to gut themselves just to compete with trade packages from teams like the Spurs or Rockets. 

If a Giannis-Knicks trade does go down this season, it would change everything. Currently, the Knicks are a definite title contender, but nobody expects them to beat teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

With Giannis, the Knicks would instantly become one of the top two or three title contenders for next year. Giannis would fit in perfectly with the defensive and gritty identity that the Knicks have built over the last few years. They would easily rank among the top NBA defenses with him on the roster, and their offense would improve greatly as well. Just imagine how formidable a pick-and-roll with Brunson and Giannis would be.

That’s why the rest of the league should pray that Giannis stays in Milwaukee. There, he likely won’t be able to compete for a championship. While in New York, he could be fighting for titles for many years to come.