New York Knicks Stefan Bondy The NBA’s Giannis Antetokounmpo trade fallout is a win for Knicks By Stefan Bondy Published June 23, 2026, 8:20 p.m. ET Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and fans celebrate a basket during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura In the idealist of Knicks worlds, Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded to some meh team in the Western Conference.
Send him Houston or the Lakers. Watch him battle for the No. 3 seed while mashing with Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.
But given how the Greek Freak Show ultimately unfolded, it’s still a positive for the defending champs.
The Miami Heat, with Knicks old friend Pat Riley still steering the Carnival Cruise ship, agreed to deal a boatload of draft picks and young players — headlined by Tyler Herro — for Antetokounmpo on Monday night.
