Knicks Explored Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade With Bucks Over Summer
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League sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Giannis Antetokounmpo met in Athens in July with agent Giorgos Panou and Bucks general manager Jon Horst to discuss Milwaukee’s championship outlook. During the conversation, the two-time MVP voiced doubts about the roster’s title ceiling and weighed potential alternatives.
Milwaukee officials feared the meeting might spark a formal trade request, according to the report. Internally, Antetokounmpo and his representatives reviewed several destinations, but only one franchise ultimately intrigued him: the New York Knicks.
The Bucks and Knicks held preliminary talks in August, sources said, yet dialogue never advanced toward a deal for the 30-year-old forward. Milwaukee signaled it preferred to keep its nine-time All-Star, and team sources indicated New York’s offer lacked the urgency needed to extend negotiations. Knicks officials, meanwhile, questioned whether the Bucks were genuinely open to moving their cornerstone.
New York’s limited draft capital complicated any pursuit. The club controls just one tradable first-round pick—a heavily protected Wizards selection expected to convert into two second-rounders—leaving a prospective package dependent on player value. Milwaukee, likely to retool or rebuild if it moved Antetokounmpo, showed little interest in the Knicks’ veteran core.
After discussions stalled, the Bucks re-signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo and entered training camp committed to opening the season with Giannis on the roster. League executives anticipate the star forward will reassess his future based on Milwaukee’s performance during the first half of 2025-26, a season many around the organization view as pivotal.
Antetokounmpo is under contract through at least 2026-27, with a player option for 2027-28. At media day last week, he acknowledged examining his options over the summer and reiterated his desire to contend for another championship, but he stopped short of a firm pledge to remain in Milwaukee. Some rival officials believe a more public push would have been required had he truly sought an immediate exit, behavior considered out of character for the typically private superstar.
Source: Hoops Rumors
