The New York Knicks locked up a member of their veteran core long-term on Thursday, signing wing Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $150 million contract extension. According to Hoops Wire, the franchise invested in Bridges after receiving critical intel on Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future.
Antetokounmpo was heavily involved in trade rumors following Milwaukee’s five-game first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers in late April. Questions surrounded the team’s chances of contending in the Eastern Conference, with Antetokounmpo’s then-co-star Damian Lillard (Achilles) likely sidelined for the entire next season. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the two-time MVP was “open-minded” about his future.
However, the Bucks have since reinvented their roster around Antetokounmpo. They shockingly waived and stretched Lillard and signed center Myles Turner and guards Cole Anthony and Gary Harris in free agency. While the organization’s depth chart, particularly in the backcourt, arguably still leaves much to be desired, its retooling efforts seem to be winning over “The Greek Freak.”
Knicks Signed Mikal Bridges to Extension Amid Expectation of Giannis Antetokounmpo Staying in Milwaukee
On Thursday, Hoops Wire’s Ashish Mathur reported that New York’s decision to extend Bridges was influenced by insider information that Antetokounmpo is expected to stay put this offseason.
“The New York Knicks got intel that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks before signing Mikal Bridges to an extension,” Mathur wrote.
Source: Knicks Got Intel Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Request Trade From Bucks Before Signing Mikal Bridges To Extensionhttps://t.co/M2cr8I9YHV
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) July 31, 2025
Bridges’ lucrative four-year extension spans until the end of the 2029-30 season, with a player option in the final year of his deal. Meanwhile, the seven-year veteran has a trade kicker and is ineligible to be moved for six months, putting him off the table for the rest of the summer.
According to Mathur, the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks, who are coming off their first East finals appearance in 25 years, “would have pursued” Antetokounmpo if he asked to leave Milwaukee.
On top of the nine-time All-Star not requesting a trade, the Bucks have expressed confidence that he will enter his 13th season with a business-as-usual approach.
“We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world,” an anonymous Milwaukee front office executive told Spotrac’s Keith Smith at NBA Summer League. “We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done.”
Assuming Antetokounmpo remains with the only franchise he has ever known since entering the NBA in 2013, the Bucks should once again be in the mix for a playoff spot. However, it may take a superhuman campaign from him for the team to improve upon its 48-win finish this past season, without a proven, starting-caliber point guard.
