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Dec 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles up court during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Bill Simmons Highlights Unfortunate Reality for Knicks' Giannis Hopes

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 8:31 AM ET

Not everybody is sold on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo to the New York Knicks deal.

With rumors about Giannis’ potential interest in joining the Knicks making rounds throughout the week, many have weighed in on the hypothetical scenario where the Knicks and the Bucks make the biggest trade since Luka Doncic went to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In Bill Simmons’ eyes, it doesn’t make sense for Milwaukee.

“I think what people don’t realize is that they don’t have any picks,” Simmons said of the Knicks.

“They already gave away all of those. The only real way to do a trade that could at least make the Bucks go, ‘Huh?’ Would be [Karl-Anthony] Towns, with [OG] Anunoby, and then you take back [Kyle] Kuzma and [Bobby] Portis with Giannis. That kind of works with the money. I have no idea why Milwaukee would do that.”

“The Knicks don’t have anything to offer. They made their moves already.”@BillSimmons on why the Giannis-to-the-Knicks reports don’t make sense. pic.twitter.com/Vw4A1xUb73
— The Ringer (@ringer) October 8, 2025

With Antetokounmpo at the head of the snake, the Bucks view themselves as NBA contenders. They haven’t gone very far in recent runs, losing in the first round of the playoffs over the past three years, but they’ll be a dark horse in the Eastern Conference until Giannis is out or shows regression.

Understandably so, the Bucks are going to want a generational haul in exchange for one of the most prominent players in their franchise’s history. They could get some talented players in return, but a lack of future assets makes the hypothetical deal a tough sell.

“Milwaukee doesn’t have their picks, either their picks are gone or they have swaps for the next five years,” Simmons added. “If you’re Milwaukee, why wouldn’t you just keep Giannis, one of the best players in the league, over being like, ‘Alright, fine, we’ll trade you and we’ll just cripple ourselves for the next half decade. The Knicks don’t have anything to offer. They made their moves already. That’s the problem with this.”

The only way the Bucks’ mind could be swayed in a favorable direction for the Knicks is if Giannis takes the same path of many disgruntled stars before him and uses different tactics to push for a deal to a specific destination.

While the Bucks have been reportedly focusing on what benefits the team the most, it’s extremely rare for a team to send a homegrown star to a destination that wasn’t desired. A two-team deal might not attract Milwaukee, but more trade partners could make for a more interesting deal for the Bucks.

Either way, a Giannis trade seems far-fetched at this time. All signs are pointing to Antetokounmpo playing out the year and then reassessing next offseason. It would probably have to take a major collapse in order for the Bucks to start taking calls earlier than next summer.