There is a perception that the New York Knicks will pursue a trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com said on June 6th that New York is prepared to give Milwaukee a huge trade offer for Antetokounmpo.
“Yesterday I was told the Knicks are preparing to make a tsunami-type offer to acquire Antetokounmpo from the Bucks”.
The Giannis Distraction: A Convenient Cover Story
At first glance, Woelfel’s report appears logical. The New York Knicks are contemplating hiring people with a previous relationship with Antetokounmpo. The Knicks reportedly want to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, Antetokounmpo’s second head coach in the league.
Mark Stein stated on June 6 that New York was going to contact Dallas to request an interview with Kidd. However, Dallas is expected to deny New York’s request.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, some “well-placed observers” have said the Mavs will turn down any Knicks request to interview Kidd, much like the Houston Rockets would deny interview requests for their head coach Ime Udoka.
Stein was the first to report on the Knicks’ interest in Kidd and Udoka following their decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau this week.
In a follow-up to that initial report, Stein reported that the Knicks planned to request permission to interview Kidd. However, Stein also noted that Kidd is “believed to be happy” in Dallas.
Antetokounmpo’s appreciation towards Kidd
The prevailing theory was that if New York was able to hire Kidd, they would have a better chance to acquire Antetokounmpo. Giannis has a positive relationship with Kidd because of what the coach did for his career. Shortly after Milwaukee fired Kidd in 2018, Antetokounmpo said he greatly appreciated Kidd as the coach because he put him on the path to becoming a superstar.
“I was only 18,” Antetokounmpo said. “I didn’t even know how the NBA worked. (Kidd’s firing) hurts a little bit more because he was here for 3 1/2 years. He trusted me. He put the ball in my hands. He pushed me to be great.”
However, New York has made several moves over the past three years that indicate they are pursuing another superstar, Luka Dončić. New York signed his former teammate Jalen Brunson in free agency during the 2022 off-season.
The relationship between Brunson and Dončić
Despite no longer being teammates, both players have acknowledged on multiple occasions over the past three years that they have mutual respect and admiration for each other. The Athletic interviewed Brunson during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. During the interview, Jalen said he had a special bond with Luka Dončić and even called him a brother.
“That’s my brother,” Brunson said of Dončić. “We got drafted together. I’ve been watching him grow since meeting him for the first time, seeing the player he is now. He’s gotten better and better each year to the point where he’s a top-five player, an MVP candidate, year in and year out, so whenever I get a chance to share the court with him, either with him or against him, it’s always been special. I’ve got nothing but love for him.
We haven’t really talked about the game or playing against each other, but we talk every now and then, always try to check up on each other,” Brunson said. “I just know he’s a competitor. Everyone obviously knows what he’s capable of. … Obviously when we’re playing and we aren’t teammates, we aren’t friends, but off the court, it’s (a) special (relationship).”
Six months later, Luka appeared on the “Old Man and the Three” podcast with JJ Redick. During the appearance, he acknowledged Brunson was fantastic to play with due to his work ethic. The Knicks’ pursuit of Luka Dončić goes beyond his special relationship with Brunson. The New York Knicks hired at least one former Dallas Mavericks employee who worked closely with Luka.
Knicks hired former Mavs employee
According to ESPN, the Dallas Mavericks fired the Director of Player Health and Performance, Casey Smith, in August 2023. Luka was unhappy with this decision, as he stated that the organization was getting rid of every employee he liked. Ten months later, Casey was hired by the New York Knicks as the Vice President of Sports Medicine.
Furthermore, the Knicks’ reported desire to interview Kidd for the head coaching vacancy could also be tied back to Luka. Kidd was Dončić’s head coach for three-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
Before Luka was traded to Los Angeles, he enjoyed playing for coach Kidd. In 2022, Igor Kokoškov spoke to the Dallas Morning News. Kokoškov’s relationship with Dončić traces back to 2017 when he was the head coach of the Slovenian national team.
Due to his history with Dončić, Kidd hired him as an assistant coach for the Mavericks before the 2021-22 season. Kokoškov described Dončić’s relationship with Kidd as a partnership.
“According to Kokoskov, Doncic and Kidd have a great, great relationship because Kidd has been able to get through to Doncic because Kidd doesn’t fuss and carry on like the coaches who groomed Doncic have been. Instead of shouting and getting in players’ faces, Kidd typically asks Doncic about his preferences and views, discussing basketball in a conversational matter”.
Consequently, all of these events indicate that the Knicks will attempt to poach Luka on it from the Lakers within the next two years. Dončić has a player option in his contract after next season.
If he opts out, New York will likely pursue him via signing trade. On the other hand, if he doesn’t opt out, the team will look to open up cap space to sign him as an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
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