Giannis Antetokounmpo in New York City, Knicks fans can’t get the image out of their heads. The headlines about his interest made them restless. A chance to land the Greek Freak doesn’t come often. However, there’s a question they need to ask themselves. Are they willing to sacrifice their captain to get such a seismic deal done?

It’s not necessary to trade Jalen Brunson. However, former Rockets player Eddie Johnson doesn’t feel good about a Brunson-Giannis pairing. “Giannis is one of the hardest players to play with because he needs the ball in his hands,” he said on Sirius XM. Brunson led the league in time per possession, and many have raised doubts about his fit besides the two-time MVP.

However, the Knicks are also a team with big ambitions. Leon Rose has been after Giannis Antetokounmpo for years. If he is willing to do anything to make it happen, Johnson feels Brunson’s spot isn’t certain. “If I’m Jalen Brunson and his deal comes up, I’d be scared to death,” Johnson added.

It would be a major move, considering Jalen Brunson has done everything to allow the Knicks to create their roster. He took a $113 million pay cut by signing a four-year extension. Stephen A. Smith is willing to trade everybody aside from Brunson to get Antetokounmpo to the Big Apple. The worst part? Just Brunson won’t suffice.

At the time, Brunson was eligible to wait until the 2025 offseason for a supermax five-year deal worth up to $269 million- a staggering $113 million difference in guaranteed money. Instead, he locked in now, starting in 2025-26 with a first-year salary of $34.9 million (a 40% raise from his current $25 million but still well below his projected max of $53 million).

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This wasn’t just a minor discount- it was a calculated sacrifice to prioritize winning over wealth. The CBA introduced harsh penalties for teams exceeding the second apron (projected at $207.8 million for 2025-26), including restrictions on trades, signings, and draft picks.

By signing early, Brunson kept the Knicks below that threshold, allowing them to afford massive extensions for OG Anunoby ($212.5 million over five years) and later Karl-Anthony Towns (acquired via trade), plus the blockbuster deal for Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn.

Without this, New York would’ve been hard-capped and unable to build around him. Brunson has cited studying dynasty blueprints- like Tom Brady’s Patriots, Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, and Derek Jeter’s Yankees- as inspiration for structuring deals to sustain title runs.

JB, a two-time national champion at Villanova, has always been wired for team success. He explained post-signing that he wants to “win in the Big Apple” and believes the Knicks’ window is now. Teammates like Towns have echoed this, noting you “can’t put a value on being where you want to be.”

It’s a leadership play- echoing what Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade did in Miami or Kevin Durant in Golden State- to keep a core intact without gutting the roster.

As the Knicks face cap constraints, they will have to add another $20 million in salaries since they can’t take back more money than they send out.

And not to forget, Giannis Antetokounmpo already had a two-season run alongside Damian Lillard- a pairing that, on paper, looked unstoppable. Yet in reality, the Bucks managed just three total playoff wins during that stretch. Health played a major role, no doubt, but even when both stars were active, the chemistry never fully clicked.

They did manage to capture the NBA Cup, notably defeating the eventual 2024–25 champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the finals- a glimpse of what could have been. Still, two ball-dominant All-NBA talents couldn’t push Milwaukee to the mountaintop. And that’s precisely why there’s no guarantee that a potential Giannis-Jalen Brunson partnership would fare any differently.

However, it’s unlikely for the Knicks because of their insufficient draft capital. Furthermore, it’s hard to envision the Knicks giving up a dynamic offensive threat who can share the floor with his star teammates to get the Greek Freak.

Also, at this moment, Antetokounmpo isn’t keen on making a move.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t shut the door on a move

It was a whole summer that passed as Giannis Antetokounmpo battled between loyalty and personal ambitions. The Bucks waiving Damian Lillard and adding Myles Turner didn’t turn the tide significantly. However, in the end, he made a decision to stay. Now that he has committed to the Bucks, his stand is absolute.

“I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to whatever we can go. It’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. All the added extra stuff, that doesn’t matter. I think I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people that I respect and love, that the moment that I step in on this court, in this facility, I wear this jersey. The rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have I front of me,” he said after practice.

That’s a big boost for the Milwaukee Bucks. By all measures, this could be a make-or-break season for them. Having a motivated Antetokounmpo could significantly improve their chances of success in an injury-riddled East.

But what will matter is their postseason success. It’s been three seasons since the Bucks last won a playoff series. Injuries have played a major role in them.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going to take those things into consideration. As things stand, he has indicated his loyalty for this season. “Now if in six, seven months I change my mind, that’s human, too. You’re allowed to make any decision you want,” he continued. The Bucks need to take a step forward to sway his mind. Staying put won’t satisfy Antetokounmpo’s obsession with playing with the purpose of winning.

Hence, they aren’t out of the mud yet. The Bucks need to make a statement, and it needs to happen this season.