Jalen Brunson Reportedly ‘Untouchable’ in Knicks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Talks to Bucks

Interviews in August between Knicks and Bucks on a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade it never gained real traction. It shouldn’t really be a surprise. If the Bucks are forced to trade one of the five best players on the face of the earth – and they would only do so if Antetokounmpo demands it – they will want back a huge haul of first-round draft picks and promising young players, two things the Knicks don’t have.

Another thing that shouldn’t be a surprise from these talks: Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was “untouchable in these talks,” something Sam Amick reported to The Athletic. Not only is Brunson an All-NBA player on a favorable contract, but he is also a fan favorite and a hero in New York. Trading him would anger fans, even if it were for Antetokounmpo.

One of the most financially clean trade options between the Knicks and Bucks is Brunson and Josh Hart for Antetokounmpo, these salaries are within about $300,000 of each other and work within salary cap restrictions. It’s also a bust for both sides: The Knicks aren’t giving up Brunson, while the Bucks want young picks and players to jump-start a rebuild, not veterans. Any potential offer from the Knicks likely involves Karl-Anthony Towns and a player like OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges (who can’t be traded until Feb. 1 and has a huge new contract coming in).

A midseason trade of Antetokounmpo and his $54.1 million salary – to the Knicks or any other team – is highly unlikely. Things get interesting if Antetokounmpo says he doesn’t intend to sign the four-year, $260 million extension the Bucks may offer next offseason. If that happened, there would be a huge slew of teams that would want to join a deal with Antetokounmpo and many of them – Houston, San Antonio, Chicago and others – have the young players and picks that Milwaukee would look for in a deal. Probably the only way Antetokounmpo ends up in New York is if he buys his way there, telling teams he’ll just sign an extension with the Knicks, and if these other teams trade for him, he’ll be a rental. Even then, as Toronto did with Kawhi Leonard in 2018, those teams might still be willing to take the risk.

For now, everyone wants to see how this season will end. The Knicks rightfully consider themselves a team that can come from the East. The Bucks want to see what Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner look like together. Houston with Kevin Durant, San Antonio with its young backcourt and just about every other team wants to see how things go before making a massive move like the trade for Antetokounmpo. That’s why there’s likely no action until next offseason.

That won’t stop the chatter and rumors.