The Knicks are two wins away from a championship. Chris Haynes is already talking about what happens if they blow it.
On the “Numbers On The Board” podcast, the NBA insider floated the idea that if New York falls to the Spurs in the Finals, they jump into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. “If the New York Knicks were to falter to the San Antonio Spurs, you know, they might be in play for Giannis,” Haynes said. “I don’t think that’d be the case if they do win the championship.”
That logic tracks. A championship would lock the current Knicks core in place for years. Giannis sweepstakes get expensive. You do not blow up a roster that just won a title. You do blow up a roster that came two games short.
Antetokounmpo has one year left on his deal with a $62.78 million player option for 2027-28. Trade rumors involving the two-time MVP are not going away until he picks up that option or signs a new deal in Milwaukee. The Bucks have done nothing to suggest they are getting back to title contention. They missed the playoffs entirely this year.
The Knicks are not the only team circled. Miami, Portland, and even Cleveland have been linked. But New York stands out for three reasons.
First, the market. Giannis to MSG is a marketing event the league has not seen since LeBron’s Decision. Second, the history. The Knicks have made runs at the Greek Freak in the past. Third, the asset pool. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and a stack of future first-round picks is one of the best trade packages in basketball.
The problem is what the Knicks would have to give up. Any Giannis package starts with Towns. Probably also Bridges. Maybe even a young player like Tyler Kolek. The new collective bargaining agreement makes salary matching brutal, especially for a team already pushing into the aprons.
And here is the wrinkle nobody wants to address. Giannis is 31. He has played heavy minutes for over a decade. The eye test in Milwaukee this season showed a player who looks slightly less explosive than the version that won the 2021 Finals. Trading a 25-year-old All-NBA center for a 31-year-old superstar is the kind of move that wins headlines and loses second-round series three years later.
The smart play is to win Monday night. Win two more after that. Bank the title. Run it back with the same group and figure out the Giannis question when his contract situation actually forces a decision.
But Haynes is right that the calculus changes if Wembanyama gets hot and the Spurs steal the series. New York would be desperate. Leon Rose has shown he is not afraid to swing big. The Towns trade, the Bridges trade, the Anunoby trade all happened in rapid succession.
The Bucks are the wild card. Milwaukee can refuse to deal Giannis and hope he picks up his player option. They can also read the room and start the rebuild. With Damian Lillard’s body breaking down and the Bucks in clear decline, holding on for one more lottery ticket season makes less sense by the day.
For now, the Knicks should focus on the closeout. Giannis can wait. A title cannot.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
