Jason Burgos
Assuming the New York Knicks don’t win an NBA championship this spring, teams like them and the Golden State Warriors are expected to pursue a summer trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, popular NBA analyst Bill Simmons explained this week why both teams need to go in a different direction.
While they are still behind the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings, the NY Knicks still have high hopes for a run to the NBA Finals in the spring. However, with the Pistons giving them big trouble during the season, and the Celtics now having top star Jayson Tatum back, they may not achieve the goal.
If they don’t, they are expected to be a top contender in the summer trade market for Antetokounmpo. Likewise for the Warriors. A team that feels they are one big piece away from getting Stephen Curry one more championship before he eventually walks away from the game in the next few seasons. Furthermore, both are believed to be preferred destinations for the two-time NBA MVP.
However, is giving up a huge amount of long-term assets the right thing for any team planning to pursue Antetokounmpo? Bill Simmons isn’t so sure, and during a new edition of his The Ringer podcast, the popular NBA expert offered up some interesting reasons why the 10-time All-Star isn’t worth a king’s ransom.
Antetkounmpo trade not worth the risk for NY Knicks, Warriors?
Firstly, he’s played in the league for 13 years, 895 total games, 89 playoff games, over 29,000 minutes, and over 3,000 playoff minutes. He also noted the various injuries he has incurred during that time, including a hyper-extended knee, a bad wrist sprain, and a couple of groin strains. That is a ton of wear and tear that is now delivering more frequent injuries.
Yet, that is not where the worrisome details ended. He asked his co-host how many players have averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds for a season in year 14 or beyond? The answer was just one player. A 20 and 12 season from Moses Malone in 1988 and ’89.
He then asked how many players averaged 24 points and 10 boards at 32 years or older? Only four have done it in NBA history. They are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, and Elgin Baylor, and it hasn’t happened in 28 years.
Simmons offers up a pretty strong case for why a trade for Antetokounmpo would be a big risk for the NY Knicks or Warriors. Because there is clear evidence that they won’t get the player they need him to be, and it could set those franchises back for a decade.
The NY Knicks dealt with the disaster of an injury-prone star when they signed Amare Stoudemire in 2010. Giving up all of their assets and then giving the future Hall of Famer a new max contract seems like too big a risk. As for the Warriors, the goal in trading for Antetokounmpo would be getting a new superstar after Curry. However, based on the obvious evidence, they may just end up trading for and re-signing a once-great player who can’t stay healthy.
