The New York Knicks are riding a five-game win streak into their Sunday night primetime matchup, but there’s a bigger storyline brewing beneath the surface-one that could reshape the NBA landscape if it gains traction.
February 1 marks a key date on the NBA calendar for the Knicks. It’s the first day Mikal Bridges becomes trade-eligible after signing a four-year extension this past offseason.
And while that might seem like a footnote during a hot stretch of basketball, it’s actually a major turning point. With Bridges now eligible to be moved, the Knicks can finally put their most complete trade package on the table-one that could include the two-way wing-in pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Let’s be clear: this doesn’t mean a deal is imminent. But it does mean the Knicks are officially in position to make their best pitch.
What Makes Bridges So Important?
From Milwaukee’s point of view, there was little incentive to engage seriously with New York before this date. Without Bridges in the mix, any offer from the Knicks would’ve been missing a key piece. Bridges is the kind of player who can contribute on both ends, guard multiple positions, and fit into just about any system-a valuable asset whether the Bucks are looking to retool or rebuild.
Now that he’s trade-eligible, the Bucks can evaluate a full Knicks offer that includes him, and that changes the math.
The Portland Factor
There’s another layer here that complicates things-and it involves the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland currently holds several of Milwaukee’s future first-round picks thanks to the Damian Lillard trade. And according to reports, the Blazers have interest in Bridges as well.
Why does that matter? If the Bucks are considering a post-Giannis future, they might want to regain control of their own draft capital.
That would allow them to bottom out if needed and benefit from their own poor records, rather than watching their picks head to Portland. That sets up a potential three-team framework where Portland could get Bridges, Milwaukee could get its picks back, and the Knicks could land the two-time MVP.
Of course, this is all hypothetical for now. But it’s not hard to see the outlines of a blockbuster.
Trade Deadline Tension
With the deadline looming, the league is entering what Mike Brown calls the “bunker down” phase. After the Knicks’ fifth straight win, Brown said he tries to keep his team locked in during this stretch, knowing how disruptive the rumor mill can be. That sentiment was echoed by Jrue Holiday, who was overheard telling Bridges before Friday’s game against the Blazers that this is “the worst time of the year.”
Holiday’s name has been floating around in Knicks rumors too-and not just because of his elite defense or playoff experience. There’s also the Giannis connection.
The two won a title together in 2021, and some insiders have noted that acquiring Holiday could be part of a broader strategy to lure Antetokounmpo to New York. It’s a bit of a long play, but in the NBA, relationships matter-and this one could carry weight.
The Giannis Watch Continues
Whether or not Giannis is moved before the deadline remains to be seen. But the first dominoes are starting to fall.
Cleveland, Sacramento, and Chicago just kicked off trade season with a deal involving DeAndre Hunter, Keon Ellis, and Dennis Schroder. That could be the start of a flurry of moves-and if the Knicks are serious about making a run at Giannis, the time to act is now.
The Knicks have the momentum on the court and, as of today, the flexibility off it. The question is: will they make their move?