The New York Knicks are coming off their best playoff run in two and a half decades. Whether they can repeat that same success is up in the air, and adding more help could help them capitalize on their run.
One player who could be available this offseason is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Although there’s no intel that the Milwaukee Bucks plan to trade him, that could change soon. If it does, former NBA guard Jay Williams explained why the Knicks should try to get him.
Jay Williams Says Jalen Brunson is Why Knicks Should Acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo
During his appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Williams explained that the Knicks’ acquiring Antetokounmpo is best for them because it’s best for Jalen Brunson.
“I think what puts Jalen Brunson in the best position long term is to be 1A when you need him to be 1A the most at the end of games,” said Williams. “Alan Hahn has referred to him as the Mariano Rivera. Mariano Rivera didn’t pitch for seven innings. So all I’m gonna say is to help the longevity for Brunson’s career due to the fact that he absorbs so much physicality.”
.@RealJayWilliams says the Knicks trading for Giannis could be in the “best, long-term interest” of Jalen Brunson’s career.
“I don’t need [Brunson] to carry the load every single night. … A guy like Giannis can carry that load.” pic.twitter.com/eL2aNVUgbW
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 2, 2025
Williams added that having someone like Antetokounmpo would help keep Brunson fresh.
“I don’t need him to carry the load every single night during an 82-game regular season schedule. And into the playoffs. I need him to remain fresh. And that’s going to help the longevity of his career. A guy like Giannis can carry that load, and actually, I think their games are (compatible) together. They work together.”
Adding another star, especially one like Antetokounmpo, would potentially do wonders for Brunson. However, Antetokounmpo has played next to someone with a similar archetype as Brunson in Damian Lillard, which didn’t help the Bucks. Injuries ruined a lot, but regardless, the Bucks weren’t thriving with the two on the floor.
Pairing Antetokounmpo with Brunson could yield similar results because it’s very possible that Brunson won’t adjust well to being the second-in-command. In his earlier years, he evolved his game into becoming the second-in-command with his first team, the Dallas Mavericks, when he played next to Luka Dončić.
However, it can be hard to return to being second when a player becomes first in the pecking order. Basketball isn’t played in a vacuum, and while some players have adjusted to being No. 2 after being No. 1 for years, not all of them can do it.
With all that out there, it would be a risk that the Knicks should be willing to take. There’s no telling if they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals again. Antetokounmpo opens that window for that and then some.
