Knicks Should Stay Clear of Giannis

In the winter of 2011, the New York Knicks expressed interest in acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. But when the Nuggets asking price was too high for then GM Donnie Walsh, he rejected it. Undeterred, Knicks owner James Dolan decided to intervene and, by-passing Walsh, negotiated directly with Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke. On February 21, the trade was finally consummated. The Knicks received Anthony, along with Chauncey Billips, Sheldon Williams and Renaldo Balkman in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round draft pick and two second rounders.

While Anthony was undoubtedly the best player in the deal, the prevailing sentiment by fans and sports media alike was that that Knicks overpaid to get him. Felton, Gallinari, Mozgov and Chandler were four of New York's top six players. Losing them seriously depleted the team's depth, and even though the Knicks went to the playoffs three straight years - beating the Boston Celtics in 2013 - they never achieved their ultimate goal of winning an NBA title with Anthony.

Fast forward fourteen years. The Knicks, fresh off an Eastern Conference finals appearance last season, and favorites to advance to the league finals this season, have been linked to a potential trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo. It seems back in August, Leon Rose, and his counterpart on the Milwaukee Bucks Jon Hurst, discussed what the particulars of a deal might look like. From all accounts, it never went any further than tire kicking.

Thank God.

Let me be as direct as I can. Under no circumstances should the Knicks even entertain a trade for Giannis. Not because he isn't a great player; he obviously is. But because, like Carmel Anthony, bringing him to New York would gut the core of this team, which I believe is knocking on the door of a championship.

Unlike that 2011 Knicks team, which Walsh was still in the process of putting back together after Isaiah Thomas all but destroyed it, Rose has spent the last four years transforming this team into a bonafide contender. And this summer, he not only replaced his entire coaching staff, he signed some valuable players that will allow Mike Brown to employ a true ten-man rotation.

Any trade that would bring Giannis to New York would almost certainly include multiple players going back to Milwaukee. The most likely to be sent packing would be Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. While a front court of Mitchell Robinson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Antetokounmpo would be imposing to say the least, there are some problems; most notably having Giannis at the three, where he would stick out like a sore thumb. It also would mean starting Jordan Clarkson at the two.

Could it work? Perhaps, but consider this: without Bridges last season, there's no way the Knicks would've beaten the Celtics. His defense was the sole reason New York took games one and two at Boston. Under Brown, Bridges true potential could be unlocked. And with Towns switching back to the four, where he played with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anunoby would return to his natural three position. In other words, as currently constructed, the Knicks are a more cohesive unit now than they were last season under Tom Thibodeau. Why on Earth would anyone - even Dolan - want to tinker with that?

Look, I realize that in this Fantasy Sports era we live in, every would-be GM with a smartphone thinks he knows how to construct a championship roster. Most of them would have a hard time managing a wet dream. Trust me, I'm also a Rangers fan. You should see some of the trades these bozos have hatched over the years. Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like had Twitter been around when Phil Esposito was running the organization in the mid 1980s.

Bottom line, up until now, Leon Rose has resisted the urge to go after the shiny new toy, be it LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Assuming Dolan doesn't stick his nose in and fuck things up again - always a big assumption with him - Giannis will stay in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. And the Knicks, with a little luck, and a ton of perspiration, might make it all the way to the top of the mountain for the first time since 1973.