{"id":124802,"date":"2025-02-20T12:52:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T17:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=124802"},"modified":"2025-02-20T12:52:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T17:52:57","slug":"knicks-favored-to-land-giannis-antetokounmpo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/20\/knicks-favored-to-land-giannis-antetokounmpo\/","title":{"rendered":"Knicks Favored To Land Top Superstar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leon Rose and the New York Knicks have had a whirlwind of the last few years. They’ve pivoted off multiple iterations of this core built around Julius Randle<\/a> and then Jalen Brunson<\/a>. In 2024, they traded five key Knicks and heavy draft compensation to bring in OG Anunoby<\/a>, Mikal Bridges<\/a>, and Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a>. They essentially sold out to assemble<\/a> the starting five we’ve watched all season. It’s worked to the tune of a 36-18 record and third in the East. We also know of their struggles against top teams<\/a> and the concerns about a quiet playoff exit. If things go south in the second round against Boston, for example, Rose could be looking to make another transformative trade.<\/p>\n

Knicks Favored To Land Top Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/h2>\n

Giannis-Bucks Could be Headed Towards a Breakup<\/h3>\n

After enduring another uneven season in Milwaukee, there are whispers about Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>‘s eventual departure from the franchise he’s spent his entire career with. The 2021 Finals MVP is under contract until at least 2026-27<\/a>\u00a0but has seemed displeased with the decline of the roster since the championship. While Damian Lillard<\/a> is having an excellent year, trading for the veteran point guard hasn’t improved the team. Milwaukee is in an extremely tough spot: they have an aging, expensive duo, not much around it, and few young players to develop. Currently, the Bucks’ roster is Giannis, Dame, Brook Lopez<\/a>, Kyle Kuzma<\/a>, and a bunch of replaceable guys.<\/p>\n

It seems like a safe assumption that Milwaukee is going nowhere in the postseason for the fourth straight year. With Giannis still on the shelf and being stuck in the fifth seed at 29-24, it looks like another lost campaign for Milwaukee. Anything can happen, but the top of the East is much better than the Bucks, with no solution in sight. Furthermore, the team has limited future flexibility because of Lillard’s lucrative contract and a lack of young assets.<\/p>\n

If Giannis is unhappy with his situation, he could request a trade as soon as this summer. Both sides would have some leverage, as he is still locked under contract for two more seasons, but an unhappy superstar is the last thing any franchise wants. Recently, Shams Charania\u00a0r<\/span>eported that Giannis could look elsewhere this summer if the Bucks have another disappointing postseason. As a result, Giannis trade rumors are heating up again.<\/p>\n

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.@ShamsCharania<\/a> provides the latest intel on Giannis and his future with the Bucks \u270d\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/C95lCmBmDM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n