While the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs continue to duke it out in one of the most competitive and exciting NBA Finals in recent memory, the league's other 28 teams are busy preparing for the offseason. Perhaps no organization will have as consequential a decision to make this summer, or be watching the conclusion of the Finals as intently, as the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks are still weighing up the future of franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 and has been non-committal about his future in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo has been the subject of trade rumors for more than a year, and the Knicks have long been considered one of the most likely landing spots for the Greek Freak if he moves. The two teams even held brief discussions on a potential deal last August before breaking off talks ahead of the season.
But now that the Knicks are two wins away from their first title since 1973, and Karl-Anthony Towns has been the team's best player in the Finals, the Bucks are on the verge of losing a potential trade partner. Here's Sam Amick in The Athletic (emphasis mine):
"Towns has spent these past seven weeks changing the narrative that surrounded him for so long, playing with the kind of tough, selfless and whatever-it-takes, two-way style that has pushed these Knicks to the brink of something special. And the league-wide chatter about Antetokounmpo coming the Knicks' way, it's safe to say, has certainly died down as a result."
Towns struggled early in the season under new coach Mike Brown, which only amplified the noise about him potentially being the centerpiece in an Antetokounmpo trade. But Towns and Brown slowly adjusted to each other over the course of the season, and the oft-maligned big man has played the best basketball of his career in the playoffs.
Through the first two games of the Finals, Towns is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, four assists and one block on 55.6/42.9/100 shooting splits and has played stellar defense against Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Depending on how the rest of the series goes, there's a real chance Towns will win Finals MVP.
Karl-Anthony Towns for NBA Finals MVP? KAT has been the best player on the court through two games Jack Maloney
And if the Knicks complete the job and win their first title in more than five decades, it's impossible to imagine the front office blowing up the core a few days or weeks later to acquire Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks, for their part, hope to have the matter settled ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft later this month.
"Giannis has brought Milwaukee its second championship and first in 50 years. He's a phenomenal player, he's a phenomenal person, he's arguably one of the best basketball players in the world," co-owner Jimmy Haslam said last month during new coach Taylor Jenkins' introductory press conference. "We will do what's best for Giannis and what's best for the organization. We don't know whether Giannis will stay with us or not, but we'll work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks."
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