The New York Knicks struggled to compete with the NBA’s best teams in the regular season, failing to secure wins against the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Cavaliers.
While the playoffs could be a different story, New York’s stressful and controversial first-round win against the Detroit Pistons suggests they aren’t title contenders yet. believes the organization could reach a new level in the offseason by swapping an irreplaceable 6-foot-4 guard for a coveted Eastern Conference All-Star.
“The New York Knicks are clearly in win-now mode. This has been the case for the last two seasons,” Saenz wrote Friday.
“If Giannis (Antetokounmpo) were to hit the open market, they’d have to consider dropping or scraping their current build in an attempt to acquire Giannis.”
“However, that could be easier said than done, considering they don’t have a ton of draft capital to work with. That’s why their trade offer wouldn’t be as strong as some others
Nevertheless, in this offer, the Knicks could sell the (Milwaukee) Bucks on a quick retooling by offering OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. They could also try and add another first-round pick (which would bring their total to two) by moving Josh Hart to a third team (possibly the Detroit Pistons).”
For clarity, Saenz’s massive trade proposal sends Antetokounmpo and Isaiah Stewart to the Knicks, Anunoby, Bridges, and two future first-round picks to the Bucks (2027 and 2029), and Hart to the Pistons.
There’s no better time for an up-and-coming club like the Knicks to pursue Antetokounmpo.
The NBA champion forward, who efficiently averaged 30+ points in the regular season and playoffs this season, wants to compete for championships before he exits his awe-inspiring prime.
Considering the Bucks suffered their fourth consecutive underwhelming postseason, Antetokounmpo will likely conclude that he’s wasting his best years with a franchise at a standstill.
If the Knicks strike a summer deal with the Bucks for Antetokounmpo, there’s no doubt they would miss Hart’s services.
As a valuable glue guy who does all of the dirty work for New York and keeps the group connected, it’s safe to say that while Antetokounmpo is the superior player, Hart is the only asset who can perform that role to perfection in Tom Thibodeau’s system
