Antetokounmpo s future is still uncertain? The Knicks and Bucks are waiting for their own opportunity, and the transaction may just be postponed

Translator's Note: The original article was published on CBSSports. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (October 28, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time. The opinions expressed in this article have nothing to do with the translator or the platform.

As the Knicks and Bucks reportedly try to negotiate a blockbuster deal this offseason, both teams have already gone through quite drastic changes. The Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau even though they were two wins away from the NBA Finals. The Bucks agreed to pay injured Damian Lillard more than $100 million to buy him out in order to sign Myles Turner in an effort to stay competitive. However, even after that, neither team's lineup can be said to be completely settled.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has two years left on his contract, which actually means the Bucks only have one year left to renew his contract in advance, otherwise they may be forced to trade him to his favorite team. According to ESPN reporter Shams Charania's report this offseason, the Knicks are his favorite team. Although Antetokounmpo did not directly request a trade, he seemed to have recognized that Lillard's torn Achilles tendon and years of mistakes in the operation of role players have put the Bucks in trouble. The Knicks have a deep, immediate roster and New York is an attractive market, making them attractive to him if he chooses to leave.

The Knicks seem to realize this. It is worth noting that they completed an early contract extension with Mikal Bridges on July 31. This type of early extension contract signed by Bridges has a 6-month trade restriction period. This trading restriction will expire on February 1st, just four days before the February 5th trading deadline. If there is an opportunity to acquire Antetokounmpo during the season, they hope to retain the flexibility to seize the opportunity. However, the two sides were no closer to reaching an agreement during trade discussions over the summer.

After all the offseason rumors, Antetokounmpo will be asked these questions when he and the Bucks take on the Knicks at home for the first time. Stars are always accompanied by these long-running rumors. Think about how LeBron James and Anthony Davis awkwardly juggled that desire with their then-teammates when they wanted to join forces in Los Angeles in 2019. The difference here, though, is that, at least for now, all parties involved are probably pretty happy with how things are going. A trade may happen one day, but right now it doesn't seem necessary.

The Knicks wanted to improve in certain areas this offseason, and at least early in the season, they largely did that. Their three-point shooting rate jumped from 28th to 1st in the league. Last season, their offense stagnated and they ranked 18th in the NBA in passes per game. This year, their average passes per game jumped from 281.2 to 309.3, which was enough to rank fifth in the league at the beginning of the season. The players also engage in this conductive ball with the same energy and enthusiasm. Players' cuts and screens are more purposeful. Everyone has a touch of the ball and everyone is involved in the offense without the ball. Everyone is involved. Gone are the days of Thibodeau's infamous short rotations. Mike Brown has used 12 players so far, and 11 of them have played at least 28 minutes in three games. So far, the Knicks' "All in One" has been a huge success.

The Bucks are far from "all people are soldiers". In Milwaukee, this is "Giannis's kingdom," and the Bucks love it. Antetokounmpo's usage rate is as high as 36.1%, which is the third-highest usage rate of his career, behind only his MVP season in 2020 and the 2022-23 season (when Khris Middleton missed most of the time due to injury). He led the league in rebounds, set a career high in assists, and averaged an astonishing 36 points per game. Data shows that this may be the best period of his career so far. So far, he has set career highs in nearly every advanced statistic. For reference, the single-season player efficiency rating (PER) record is 32.85. And Antetokounmpo's PER value is as high as 42.82 so far. At this rate, Antetokounmpo is likely to win his third MVP trophy.

If he can do it, the Bucks will be very excited. Although Antetokounmpo has been clamoring to win another championship, the Bucks don't necessarily have to achieve that goal this season. They just need to buy time. If they make it to the summer without receiving a clear trade request, they'll gain control of a 2026 first-round pick (from the worse of themselves or the Pelicans) and the team's own 2033 first-round pick. Whenever Antetokounmpo is close to leaving, Jon Horst always has a magic touch. Jrue Holiday, Lillard, Turner. If the Bucks can hold out until the summer, they can make another big trade. If Antetokounmpo — surrounded almost exclusively by shooters who can space the floor for him — can win another MVP trophy or come close to that, it seems like an achievable goal.

We still have a long way to go. Until Giannis actually signs an early contract extension, these rumors will continue. Frankly, it is far from time for all parties to feel the urgency. Only three games into the season. It's too early to say the Knicks are favorites to win the Eastern Conference, and if they don't make the Finals, they'll be looking for a major roster upgrade in the offseason. It's one thing to play like Antetokounmpo for three games, but it's another thing to do it for the entire 82 games.. Can he handle such a workload forever? Will he be more inclined to find a reliable second-in-command to help him in the short term? If the Bucks sense something isn't right, is it possible that they might move early to try to retain more control in a potential trade rather than letting Antetokounmpo use his expiring contract to force his way to a specific team like the Knicks?

These are legitimate questions. There will be more twists and turns in Antetokounmpo's series. But this is not a repeat of the James and Davis trade turmoil in 2019. At the beginning of the season, both the Knicks and Bucks were quite satisfied with their current situation. The Knicks have every reason to believe they can reach the Finals without Antetokounmpo. The Bucks also have every reason to believe that they are competitive enough to stabilize their position until new players can be introduced next summer. A trade may one day be on the agenda, but now is not the time. Both sides are probably happy that they can see where the season goes before making a decision on such a league-shaking trade.