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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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The New York Knicks were connected to nine-time All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during the NBA offseason, and reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania indicated that they had talks with the Bucks about striking a deal.
According to Charania, Antetokounmpo was noncommittal about his future with the Bucks., prompting months of speculation about whether the Greek Freak would finally make the move to a larger media market.
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In the end, the Bucks and Antetokounmpo recommitted to each other, at least during the first half of the season, but the Knicks will likely keep their eye on him.
If he expresses a formal desire for a trade, the Knicks do have a package compelling enough for the Bucks to consider, though it will likely require a push from the star to get any deal over the line.
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Along with all of the negotiating over the trade package, superstars, especially the top five NBA players, generally do not get traded in the middle of the season — unless it is Luka Doncic or Jimmy Butler, of course — making a deal all the more unlikely.
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For these reasons, among others, Knicks insider James Edward III of The Athletic predicts that a deal will not get done during the middle of the season for Antetokounmpo.
"[Mikal] Bridges signed his extension on Aug. 1, making him eligible to be traded right before the NBA’s trade deadline in February. While I don’t think that’s a coincidence, I don’t see New York making any franchise-altering moves during the season," Edwards wrote in his story.
"Signing Bridges to make him eligible to be traded during the season is more of a strategic move. The Knicks are giving themselves as much flexibility as possible in the event the season goes off the rails over the next few months.
"However, I don’t expect things to go south, and I don’t think New York’s decision-makers do either. This front office is excited about this team and its possibilities this season. In my opinion, a lot would have to go wrong between now and the deadline for something crazy to happen."
Edwards cautions that dealing for Antetokounmpo would likely require an addition club beyond just the Knicks and Bucks, given that New York has offloaded most of its future assets thanks to its trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last summer.
Edwards cautions that, should the Knicks have trouble in the playoffs this spring, an Antetokounmpo offseason trade could become more of a possibility.
Antetokounmpo could end up on the Knicks in a year, but if Edwards is correct, the trade will not happen until the summer time, rather than February.
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