The New York Knicks are trying to rally from a 3-1 deficit against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. They got step one out of the way, winning Game 5 at home in resounding fashion, but the likelihood of them winning Game 6 in Indiana on Saturday night — much less winning the next two in row — feels pretty slim.
If they can't pull off a histor 3-1 comeback, at least there's still a silver lining to be found. Every season under Leon Rose, New York has managed to retool and get slightly better. And despite trading a boatload of picks for Mikal Bridges and making a blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns last offseason, Rose and the Knicks could still have a path way to making another major change this summer.
A loss could crank up the pressure and force the team's hand into making a run at one of the greatest NBA players ever. At least respected NBA analyst Brian Windhorst thinks as much, saying: “I’m not discounting the Celtics and Knicks in the Giannis race.”
What could a Knicks trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo look like?
The Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes are going to define this offseason. All 29 other teams would want him, but not everyone can get him. For Antetokounmpo, being traded within the Eastern Conference would increase his chances of winning a championship, and conventional wisdom suggests he doesn't have much interest in moving to the West Coast. So there's at least some chance that Giannis would choose New York if he does ask out; but the Milwaukee Bucks still want to be able to rebuild, so what could the Knicks offer in return?
There a few different ways New York could complete a trade. The first, and most beneficial for the Knicks, is to swap Karl-Anthony Towns and Antetokounmpo more or less straight up. The only problem is that the Knicks can only trade pick swaps now that their war chest has been depleted by the Towns and Bridges deals. For Milwaukee, not only are they not getting young talent, they also aren't getting any draft picks, which would be a tough sell.
Another option is to add multiple players to the deal. Along with giving up Towns, the Knicks could throw in either Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart or someone else. Milwaukee not only gives up Antetokounmpo but would have to throw in some other pieces as well for salary-matching purposes.
The most likely option for Milwaukee and New York to pull off an Antetokounmpo trade is to have a multi-team deal. Milwaukee will be looking to rebuild if Antetokounmpo is traded. The Knicks can't provide them with draft picks and young players like the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets could. In this scenario, the Knicks would get Antetokounmpo and a third team would get Towns while sending young talent and draft picks to Milwaukee.
New York trading away anyone else in their usual starting five outside of Towns for Antetokounmpo would thin the roster to the point where winning a championship even with Giannis aboard seems unlikely. Recent NBA champions tell us that not only do teams need a superstar, but they need depth. A three-team deal allows the Knicks to not sacrifice much, gives Antetokounmpo a chance to compete for a championship and lets Milwaukee get their future set up.