New Giannis Trade Rumors Update Timeline for Deal, Potential Knicks Involvement After NBA Finals

There is reportedly a belief within the NBA that a trade involving Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could get done at some point between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the 2026 NBA draft on June 23.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Bucks haven't yet asked teams to submit their final offers for Giannis, and it is believed they are waiting until the NBA Finals are over to strike a deal with the New York Knicks still in the NBA Finals.

The Knicks own a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, and holding onto Giannis until after the Finals would allow the Bucks to gauge the Knicks' interest.

Regardless of where Antetokounmpo ends up going, Fischer noted that the league as a whole is bracing for the trade to happen before June 23, as that would allow the Bucks to acquire capital for this year's draft.

Back in October, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Knicks were the only team the Bucks engaged in Giannis trade talks with last offseason.

That was reportedly because the Knicks were the only team Antetokounmpo expressed interest in joining in the event of a trade.

Per Charania, the Bucks felt the Knicks "did not make a strong enough offer," and the Knicks did not believe the Bucks were necessarily "serious" about trading Giannis.

Because of that, Giannis began the season on Milwaukee's roster, and he remained with the team throughout the 2025-26 season.

However, injuries limited him to only 36 games, and the Bucks went 32-50 and missed the playoffs as a result.

With the Bucks seemingly being in no position to vie for a championship anytime soon, it has become widely believed that a Giannis trade will happen this coming offseason.

There will undoubtedly be a ton of interest in the 31-year-old veteran, as he is a 10-time All-Star, two-time NBA MVP, one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, one-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP.

He is also still among the most productive players in the league when healthy, averaging 29.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game over the past nine seasons.

Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported last week that "many people around the league" expect the Miami Heat to be the team that lands Giannis this offseason, although they also reported that Giannis is believed to be "very intrigued" by the Boston Celtics.

One can only assume that the Knicks are still on Antetokounmpo's radar as well, although it is fair to wonder if New York would be willing to shake up its roster so significantly after reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.