A TRADE sending Giannis Antetokounmpo to the New York Knicks is unlikely. But this is the kind of effort that makes Knicks fans salivate at the thought.
Antetokounmpo dominated a big-man matchup against New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns Tuesday night to lead the Bucks to a 121-111 win over a Knicks team on the short list of favourites to win the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo generally got whatever he wanted in the paint while shooting 16 of 22 from the field en route to 37 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal. Towns, meanwhile, failed to crack double figures in scoring while posting just eight points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block. He shot 2-of-12 from the field and finished the game with five fouls.
With the game’s outcome in hand in the final minute, Antetokounmpo added an exclamation point at Towns’ expense. He beat Towns off the dribble from midcourt, then soared into the paint for a dunk over Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
It added up to the type of overwhelming effort that Knicks fans could reasonably dream about raising New York’s profile from a contender in a depleted East to a legitimate threat to compete for an NBA championship. That is if there were a path to a trade.
As of now, a trade will have to remain a pipe dream.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Oct. 7 that the Knicks and Bucks actually engaged in trade talks regarding Antetokounmpo and that the Knicks are the only team that Antetokounmpo would want to play for outside of Milwaukee.
For what it’s worth, both Antetokounmpo and Bucks head coach Doc Rivers largely shut those rumors down in the days that followed.
Still, with all the assets the Knicks have parted with to assemble their current roster and a $150 million extension for Mikal Bridges that keeps him off the trade block until Feb. 1, there’s little the Knicks could muster together to entice Milwaukee to part with a generational talent.

Antekounmpo was asked directly about the ESPN report on Tuesday night and wanted nothing to do with it.
“I don’t read that,” he said, via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.
He was then pressed a little further and gave a very similar answer to what he said earlier this month.
“I don’t remember that,” he said. “Right now, I’m here representing my team. And that’s it. We beat the Knicks. That’s all. Doesn’t really matter … I didn’t read that article. I try to stay away from all the rumors and, what you call it, speculation, trades and all this. It doesn’t concern me one bit. I try to involve myself [in my play] and I try to win games.” (Yahoo Sports)