Could Mikal Bridges getting traded be the key for the New York Knicks to land Giannis Antetokounmpo? An intriguing rumor has emerged explaining why.
As we get closer to the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, there is no bigger story in the league than the future of the Milwaukee Bucks superstar. Despite rumors all summer that he might get moved after the team lost in the first round of the playoffs for a third straight year, the two-time MVP stayed in Wisconsin. However, the trade chatter has fired up once again over the last few weeks.
Milwaukee begins the week with an 18-25 record and three games out of a play-in spot. It is a first-half result well below the standard of the title-hunting superstar. It has led to speculation that a divorce is sure to come, either in the next couple of weeks or in the summer. And the NY Knicks remain a top contender for his services after the two teams reportedly had introductory talks about a trade in the offseason.
However, a blockbuster deal would not be easy to make. The NY Knicks don’t have a boatload of first-round picks that would appeal to the Bucks, and it is unclear how excited Milwaukee would be about getting Karl-Anthony Towns back in a trade. Since he would need to be included to make the money matchup.
That is why speculation arose last week that other teams would need to be added toget Milwaukee the sort of return they would want. One of those teams might be the Portland Trail Blazers. And according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the organization has long been a fan of Mikal Bridges.
Are the NY Knicks planning a Mikal Bridges for Jrue Holiday swap?
The assumption is that the NY Knicks would need to move Bridges to Portland and land some first-round picks that can then be flipped to Milwaukee. However, in a new report from Stein, he suggests that might not be the plan. And instead, they might ship the guard to the Trail Blazers to land a player that would make New York even more appealing to Antetokounmpo.
“Another concept that keeps coming up: Rumbles that the Knicks have explored pathways to try to acquire Portland’s Jrue Holiday,” Stein wrote. “There are at least two clear reasons why New York would have interest in a player who helped both Milwaukee and Boston win championships this decade.”
The NBA insider claims the first reason is, as mentioned above, “Holiday would make the Knicks an even more attractive destination to his former Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo” since they won a championship together several years ago.
The second reason is also interesting. Stein writes that there are those in the NY Knicks organization who like Holiday’s pairing with Jalen Brunson in the backcourt more than Brunson’s with his long-time friend Bridges.
Holiday has two years and over $71 million left on his contract, assuming he uses his $37 million player option in 2027-28.
