Knicks trade proposal would have to come true if New York doesn’t win Eastern Conference originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The focus for the New York Knicks right now is going into the postseason healthy and trying to win an NBA championship. The Knicks finished in third place in the Eastern Conference and will take on the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1.

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The Knicks are in a very good spot to win the Eastern Conference, but if they don’t, there will certainly be some loud questions about the future of this organization. The most obvious move if this happens would be trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is one of the best players in the world still, and many believe that his time with the Milwaukee Bucks is up.

Gray Deyo proposed a blockbuster that would send Antetokounmpo to New York, along with Andre Jackson Jr. His deal would send Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles McBride to the Milwaukee Bucks. Draft capital would be a 2026 first-round pick (via WAS, top eight protected), 2027 second-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick, and 2032 first-round pick.

“The Knicks, with where they are as an organization, if all the dominoes were to fall in place in the 2026 playoffs, they could win an NBA championship right now. They have all the pieces that a team would theoretically need to win a title. It seems that is the case.

“However, another failed title run often leads teams to make changes, and the Knicks would be no exception.”

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There’s a lot to unpack here, and of course, the idea of the Knicks making a play for Antetokounmpo would make a lot of sense. He’s still one of the best players in the world, even though he’s dealt with some injuries in recent years.

The tough part here is that the Bucks might not want to move on from him for such an average trade return, as they should be able to get more for him if he were to be on the market soon.

Regardless, this feels like the move that would happen if the Knicks don’t win a championship this season.

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