Giannis Antetokounmpo is disappointed with the Milwaukee Bucks. So much so that Jon Hurst reached out to Leon Rose over the summer to see whether there was any interest in bringing the Greek Freak to Manhattan. And if there was, what players would he be willing to give up in a trade. We're not sure how long the phone call lasted, but suffice to say the offer Rose made went about as far as a Mitchell Robinson free throw attempt.
Let's get real. Giannis makes $54 million. The Knicks are hard-capped at the second apron. The only way they can take on his salary would be to unload $54 million the other way; $54 million in, $54 million out. Got it? That means Rose would have to trade a significant portion of a core that last season was two wins away from reaching the NBA finals for the first time in 26 years, just to accommodate a player who's unhappy with where he is.
Well, boo hoo. Life is tough. As Mick Jagger once sang, "You can't always get what you want."
Forget for a moment that this would be the third major trade Rose would be making in the last two years - the Mikal Bridges deal doesn't count because it only involved draft picks going the other way - where's the incentive here for the Knicks? Not only does it not make them better, it actually makes them worse. As I wrote in a piece this past October, without Bridges - who I assume would be one of the players headed to Milwaukee - New York doesn't beat Boston in the conference semi-finals last May.
No disrespect intended but what has Giannis done since winning the title in 2021? He's a great player, sure, but he's no Nikola Jokic. And his team has been one of the biggest postseason disappointments over the last four years, while the Knicks have been one of the more pleasant surprises. The only way I'd consider taking Giannis off Milwaukee's hands is if they retained half his salary and were willing to accept bench players in return. Not interested? Have a nice day.
No, if Rose is going to make any trade at all, it'll likely be for a complementary player that adds to the depth of this roster, not subtracts from it. And, ironically, the Bucks have such a player: Bobby Portis. The 6-9 power forward / center would fit in nicely on a Knicks team that could use a little more beef in its front court. And at $13 million, he's cheap. Rose could offer them Robinson and a first rounder to get it done.
Portis is no stranger to New York; he briefly played here in 2019-20 before joining the Bucks the following season for their championship run. He averages 12 points and seven rebounds per game. And unlike Whack-a-Mitch, he actually makes his free throws.
Imagine a roster that includes KAT, Portis, Anunoby, Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek. I'd say that's pretty impressive and deep. Is it good enough to go to the finals? That remains to be seen. One thing's for certain: gutting it for one player, even one as talented as Giannis, won't get this franchise any closer to its goal of winning a title. Indeed, it would be Carmelo Anthony, Part Deux.
Bottom line: Rose assembled this roster. It's the best roster the Knicks have had since the days of Pat Riley in the 1990s. It deserves a chance to win.
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