New York Knicks No Longer Have Exclusive Negotiating Window As Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Preferred Destination
According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, if the Milwaukee Bucks are open to discussing Giannis Antetokounmpo with teams, the New York Knicks will no longer have the exclusive negotiating window as his preferred destination.
Antetokounmpo wanted to be traded to the Knicks before the season and a trade almost went through.
“If the Milwaukee Bucks are open to discussing Giannis Antetokounmpo with teams, the New York Knicks will no longer have the exclusive negotiating window as his preferred destination, sources told ESPN,” Charania wrote.
The Knicks made the conference finals last season for the first time since 2000. Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost in the first round of the playoffs three years in a row.
Milwaukee won the 2021 championship against the Phoenix Suns but has won only one playoff series since then. Antetokounmpo is tired of losing and wants to compete for a championship again.
A top 75 player of all time, Antetokounmpo is making $54.1 million this season. He has a player option worth $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season. The superstar forward doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract.
The Knicks will have to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns to acquire Antetokounmpo.
A future Hall of Famer, Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season while shooting 63.9% from the field and 63.5% from the free-throw line. He’s currently out with a right calf strain.
“The writing is on the wall,” one source with direct knowledge of the Bucks’ dynamics with Antetokounmpo told ESPN this month.
One of the greatest players in NBA history, Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP, one-time Finals MVP, one-time Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time All-Star. He holds career averages of 24.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
If Antetokounmpo requests a trade this season, almost every contender will attempt to acquire the NBA legend.
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