Knicks rumors: The extra ‘hurdle’ New York will face in potential Giannis trade

The New York Knicks have gotten back on track over the last week or so, winning five straight games after an ugly losing skid had them cascading down the Eastern Conference standings. Still, New York is well below where they thought they would be at this point of the season, causing some to wonder if a trade may be on the horizon.

The biggest name on the market at the present moment is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Knicks have been linked to him dating back as far as last summer.

Recently, NBA insider James L. Edwards III of The Athletic broke down the latest intel on where things stand between the two sides, including a potential problem that New York may encounter in trying to get something done.

“New York would need to trade two or three players in its starting lineup, most likely OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and/or Karl-Anthony Towns. The latter two, per multiple league sources, aren’t believed to have the same value today as when the Knicks traded for them, so that could be a hurdle in itself,” reported Edwards III.

He also added that “It’s unclear if the Knicks and (James) Dolan are willing to give up their hopes of making the finals this season in order to acquire Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later.”

Indeed, Bridges and Towns have both been somewhat disappointing this season for New York, particularly Towns, who has struggled to adjust to an unclear role in new head coach Mike Brown’s offensive scheme.

At this point, it’s unclear if that might be enough to cause the Bucks to look for other options when it comes to a potential Antetokounmpo trade.

In any case, the NBA trade deadline is just days away, set for February 5. Meanwhile, the Knicks will next hit the floor on Sunday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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