Knicks Look To Shake Things Up At Trade Deadline – With Either Jrue Holiday Or Giannis Antetokounmpo

The New York Knicks have been inconsistent this season and are looking for possible trade pieces to fix it.

Jrue Holiday reportedly could be an option for the Knicks. Holiday is currently with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Holiday is a two-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion. He won with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and the Boston Celtics in 2024. The Celtics traded Holiday for Anfernee Simons this offseason. This move was likely made to save the Celtics money.

The Knicks’ perimeter defense has been bad at many points throughout the season. Jalen Brunson is an All-Star point guard, but his defense can leave much to be desired. Holiday is known for being an elite perimeter defender.  

In the NBA, salaries need to be close to matching for any trade to take place. Holiday’s $32 million contract could make that difficult for any team, especially the cap-strapped Knicks.

The Knicks likely need to give up Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Miles “Deuce” McBride just to get the salaries to match. This seems like an overpay for a declining Holiday.

Along with that, the Knicks have their eyes set on a much bigger prize. The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are working together to find him a trade partner, according to ESPN. The Knicks have long been considered Antetokounmpo’s preferred destination. 

The Knicks’ path to acquire Antetokounmpo isn’t very clear. They gave up most of their draft assets to get Mikal Bridges. It’s likely the only way Antetokounmpo ends up a Knick is if he specifically requests a trade to them. 

Karl-Anthony Towns is likely to be a part of any Knicks deal for Antetokounmpo. Their salaries almost match, so it’s hard to include many other players. The Knicks need to rely on pick swaps to give the Bucks assets.