While the NBA’s premier Greek won’t speak on his future, NBA insider Jake Fischer had some encouraging intel for those wishing to see Giannis Antetokounmpo don the New York Knicks’ shades of blues.
Recent rumors of Antetokounmpo moving on from his longtime post as the Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise face certainly piqued the interest of Knicks fans, who have long kept themselves abreast of his situation up north. In his latest offering for The Stein Line, Fischer stated Antetokounmpo’s reported interest in the Knicks is to be believed and that the team will well placed on the leaderboard for his services if/when he opts out of Milwaukee.
“It’s true: there’s a strong belief leaguewide that Antetokounmpo desires one destination above all the rest in the event that he actually does fully ask out someday.
New York,” Fischer reported. “After some further calls, I can confirm that the Knicks — as well as playing in Madison Square Garden — were the specific “temptation” that Giannis himself publicly acknowledged on Bucks Media Day as an outcome he pondered during the summer.”
Antetokounmpo has long-lingered in the Knicks’ rumor mill and things hit a relative fever pitch over the summer, when several major insiders reported that the Knicks and Bucks spoke about a potential move. In July, Antetokounmpo told online personality IShowSpeed that several members of his inner circle have “tried to convince” him to make the metropolitan move.
Milwaukee’s slow start in the wake of a transformative offseason, one that was centered on providing Antetokounmpo with another legitimate chance at a championship, has reignited debates about his future and the Knicks figure to be at the center of such a discussion until the matter is resolved. As implied by Fischer, Antetokounmpo addressed the “temptation” at the start of the season, comparing the sensation to an amusement park visit.
“That starts when the season ends until the season begins,” Antetokounmpo said of the rumors (h/t the Bucks). “There’s going to be a lot of people that are going to approach me or my agents and say, ‘Hey, this is a possibility. That’s a possibility.’ But at the end of the day, I’m going to make a decision. My decision today is that I’m here, and I’m committed to this team.”
New York (16-7) has skyrocketed to the second seed on the premature Eastern Conference playoff bracket as winners of seven of their last eight, including a 118-109 triumph over Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Nov. 28. Any deal to land Antetokounmpo would have to part ways with name-brand talents instead of the usual draft pick fare.
As is stands, Antetokounmpo is the midst of a medically-induced absence, sidelined for the two-to-four weeks with a calf strain. That will likely to do little to tranquilize the gossip, which has continued to flow despite his departure. The two sides are not scheduled to do battle again this season until Feb. 27, just over three weeks after the 2026 trade deadline.
