Report: Giannis Antetokounmpo being eyed by 1 big-market rival

May 13, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots during warmups prior to game six of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

One major-market NBA team may be back to big-game hunting.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday on an episode of “First Take” that the New York Knicks are eyeing Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Windhorst notes there is leaguewide uncertainty over whether Antetokounmpo will extend his current deal with the Bucks.

“The New York Knicks,” said Windhorst. “They’ve got 97 percent of their attention on [their ongoing second-round series against] the Miami Heat, three percent of their attention on Milwaukee. ‘What’s going on over there?'”

Brian Windhorst debuted a "What's going on over there?" today on First Take (in regards to the idea of Giannis to the Knicks).

The delivery and wording seemed to want to piggyback off of his wildly popular "Now why is that" meme. pic.twitter.com/kREdGlXZJN

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 5, 2023

Despite winning an NBA-best 58 games this year, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks just suffered a deflating first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Heat. The team then made a controversial change in response to the defeat, further adding to the overall uncertainty in Milwaukee right now.

Antetokounmpo, still only 28, signed a five-year supermax extension with the Bucks in 2020. But he has a player option for the final season, meaning Antetokounmpo only has two more guaranteed years left on his contract (with the ability to become a free agent as early as 2025).

The Knicks, meanwhile, are known for jumping in on every single top free agent (usually unsuccessfully). They pursued LeBron James in 2010, Kevin Durant in 2019, and seemingly every other star player in between. But based on the way that the Knicks had previously treated Antetokounmpo’s brother, their chances of landing Giannis might not be all that great either.

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