Giannis Antetokounmpo has been at the epicenter of NBA trade rumors, and he's been linked to the Knicks for months
The moment reports came in of Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially looking at a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks this week, the NBA floodgates opened.
Every team was interested in seeing if they could acquire the former MVP, and his status with the Bucks dominated every single headline. Fortunately for the New York Knicks, Giannis has been heavily linked to the Knicks since the offseason. However, is Giannis still interested in joining the Knicks?
The Latest on Giannis to the New York Knicks
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Giannis mentioned an affinity to play in New York both publicly and privately. While that could be interpreted as either the Knicks or Nets, there seems to be a slim chance of Giannis joining a team that's worse than his current Bucks team.
“Antetokounmpo’s affinity for playing in New York has been mentioned often, both publicly and privately, most recently revealing itself as part of what ESPN continues to call ‘an exclusive negotiating window’ that the Knicks were reportedly afforded in August to make trade pitches to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo," Fischer said.
It isn't just Fischer talking about Giannis potentially joining the Knicks, even former NBA legends like Carmelo Anthony are pondering the possibility.
How Close Was Giannis to Joining the Knicks?
As Fischer dove into Giannis' interest in joining the Knicks, he revealed that the former MVP told at least one Bucks teammate that he believed a trade to the Knicks was imminent.
"Multiple sources have insisted this week that Antetokoumpo, during the summer, told at least one Bucks teammate that he believed a trade to the Knicks was quite close to materializing," Fischer added. "Obviously no such trade did, but the Knicks continue to be cited as a team that must be mentioned in any credible discussion about the Antetokounmpo landscape."
Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that offseason trade never materialised. Fortunately for Knicks fans, it looks like the floodgates have opened again, and the offseason was only two months ago. Not too much time has passed since Giannis' first interest was reported, and his Bucks team isn't looking any better.
Currently, the Milwaukee Bucks have a mediocre record of 10-15. The New York Knicks are second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 16-7. If Giannis did leave the Bucks, it would be a really sad ending to a superstar player bringing a championship to a small-market team, but at the same time, it feels necessary now.