Report: Giannis Antetokounmpo Decision Led to Latest Knicks Move

Giannis Antetokounmpo may have helped build a bridge for the New York Knicks to keep Mikal Bridges.

Bridges is the Knicks' new $150 million man, inking a four-year extension with the team on Thursday, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The former Villanova Wildcat may have an old Finals foe to thank for his new windfall: per a report from Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the Knicks "got intel that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks" before granting Bridges his nine figures.

For the time being, Mathur claims, Antetokounmpo is said to be sticking around in Milwaukee, which has engaged in an eventful offseason to extend the title window of the "Greek Freak."

The Bucks, fresh off a first-round exit for the third consecutive season, added former division rival Myles Turner to the fold while bidding farewell to Damian Lillard. Several holdovers from last season were retained, including former Knicks center Jericho Sims, who was went to Wisconsin at least year's trade deadline for Delon Wright.

If the Bucks were truly interested in trading their franchise face, the Knicks remained a popular destination in the eyes of fantasy basketball writers. Antetokounmpo himself admitted in an interview with internet personality IShowSpeed that "a lot of people" tried to push him to Manhattan though he said he'd "probably" be suiting up for the Bucks next season.

In any event, the Knicks have made a commitment to Bridges, who took on a slight discount to retain No. 25 in New York. Bridges is at the center of the one of the most polarizing moves in recent basketball memory, as he was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a rare crosstown trade that sent five premier draft picks across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Despite a rollercoaster maiden voyage, Bridges came up big in several postseason moments en route to the first New York Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a quarter-century and once again played all 82 games in the regular season.