The New York Knicks have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo since August, but there is little evidence they are aggressively pursuing a deal as the trade deadline approaches.
With limited future first-round picks, New York would likely need to move players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, or Mikal Bridges in separate trades to gather the assets the Milwaukee Bucks would require.
So far, there have been no strong indications that the Knicks’ front office is actively taking those steps.
“The Knicks believe in this team,” Brian Windhorst said on Monday’s episode of Get Up. “And that could end up being an excellent assessment, or that could end up being a mistake. But they believed in this team last summer when Giannis was sort of loosely available in those discussions. They didn’t make an aggressive offer at that time to progress those talks.
“If they want to win a bidding war for Giannis now, I think it’s going to take a three- or four-team trade … That is just not happening. They are not showing that aggression to get Giannis right now. And I think that’s because they like this team.”
Windhorst added that New York does not view the Eastern Conference as an overwhelming obstacle and believes its current roster is capable of competing.
While a Giannis pursuit could be revisited in the offseason, the Knicks’ current actions suggest they are content to move forward as constructed.
There is also league-wide belief that Milwaukee may not be seriously entertaining Antetokounmpo offers before the February 5 deadline, instead aiming to establish a minimum asking price ahead of a potentially more active summer market.
Knicks Not Believed To Be In Aggressive Giannis Antetokounmpo Pursuit Ahead Of Trade Deadline https://t.co/yRFPnMpy6S
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 2, 2026
