The New York Knicks had their eyes on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and reportedly made an offer for the former MVP. 

ESPN's Shams Charania appeared on the Flagrant podcast (via Hoops Hype) and said, "There was a two-week period where the Knicks knew Giannis wanted to play there, so did the Bucks."

He continued, "Conversations were happening, and offers were made. It wasn't finalized, but the Knicks had their shot."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst had a similar report, saying on First Take (via Awful Announcing), "The Knicks were in position to get Giannis, and they didn't get him. [New York] could've had Giannis under a certain set of circumstances."

During the offseason, Shams said that New York was "the only place Antetokounmpo wanted to play outside of Milwaukee. The Bucks picked up the Knicks' call on Antetokounmpo, and the sides engaged in conversations for a window of time in August, league sources said, but the teams never got traction on a deal."

Difficulties Of A Deal For Giannis

Giannis signed a three-year extension worth $186 million with the Bucks that began this season. His deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.

The Knicks are hard-capped, so a one-for-one trade is off the table. The Knicks have large-salaried players in Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges, but it is unclear who would be available in a potential trade for Giannis. 

New York made the Eastern Conference Finals with that core four last season, but lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers. They fired head coach Tom Thibodeau in the offseason, replacing him with veteran coach Mike Brown. 

The Knicks are off to a 2-3 start through five games of the season. 

They began the year 2-0 with victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, but have dropped games to the Miami Heat, Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. 

In the game against the Bucks, Giannis finished with 37 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds. Ryan Rollins chipped in with 25 points, four assists, and four steals.

For the Knicks, they were led by 36 points from Jalen Brunson, who also had three assists and four rebounds. Towns struggled with his shot, scoring just eight points on 2-12 shooting and 0-3 from three. 

During the game, which took place in Milwaukee, Giannis shouted "This is my city" after a dunk over Towns. 

The Knicks will play the Bulls on Sunday.