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The New York Knicks jumped right back into the center of Giannis Antetokounmpo speculation after a new wave of reporting reignited the belief that the Milwaukee Bucks star viewed New York as a real landing spot. As that noise builds again, a Hall of Famer has entered the conversation with a take that slices against months of Knicks logic.
On an episode of The Truth Lounge, Paul Pierce shared his own blueprint for how New York should approach a pursuit of Antetokounmpo, per Basketball Network. He made his stance clear from the start, saying he would move Jalen Brunson in a Antetokounmpo trade and not Karl-Anthony Towns. Then he explained exactly why.
“If I got Giannis and KAT to build for the next five years, we can win championships,” Pierce said. “I like him more with KAT than Brunson. You’ve got two physical bigs, one inside, one outside. I don’t need a scoring guard with them two. I don’t need much with them two.”
Pierce pointed to fit, spacing and play style as the foundation of his argument.
How Close Knicks Came to Landing Giannis
This week’s news climate gave Pierce plenty to react to. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that Antetokounmpo believed a move to New York sat “quite close” to becoming reality last summer. Fischer wrote that Antetokounmpo told at least one Bucks teammate that he thought a Knicks deal nearly materialized during late-offseason talks.
That insight expands on ESPN’s Shams Charania, who previously reported that the Bucks and Knicks operated inside an exclusive negotiating window. Those conversations didn’t move toward an agreement, but Charania noted that New York surfaced as the only preferred market outside Milwaukee during that stretch.
Charania wrote that Milwaukee wanted to keep Antetokounmpo, while people inside the Knicks organization felt the Bucks never intended to engage with real seriousness. The gap in those perspectives created a stalemate that lasted until this week’s new wave of reporting revived the entire storyline.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick added another important detail back in October. He reported that the Knicks drew a firm line around Brunson and labeled him untouchable during early discussions. Other names, including Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, surfaced as possible routes if the two sides ever aligned on structure.
That internal posture still holds, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. “From the Knicks’ perspective, they like their team right now,” Begley said. “They are excited about what they’ve seen so far.”
Pierce Says Giannis-Brunson Crowds The Floor
Pierce, however, believes New York needs to rethink its hierarchy if a second chance to land Antetokounmpo arrives. He argues that Brunson and Giannis overlap in ways that harm spacing and rhythm.
Pierce explained that both players thrive on drives, operate inside the arc and control possessions with the ball in their hands. He believes that combination shrinks the floor and takes away what makes Antetokounmpo so devastating inside.
According to Pierce, a Giannis-KAT pairing avoids that issue entirely. He views Antetokounmpo and Towns as natural complements since one pounds the paint while the other attacks from the perimeter. He also called them reliable 25-point scorers who produce enough offense to cover any scoring loss at the guard spot.
Pierce said New York could pivot by adding a young point guard with more spot-up ability. He mentioned Devin Vassell, Anfernee Simons and Jalen Suggs as examples of guards who fit better next to two high-usage bigs.
He even pointed to a real-time model that supports his approach. “Look at the combination of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein,” Pierce said. “That’s two bigs together. One can spread the floor, and one is inside. That’s a way better version than that. You got both of them, I like it better.”
Pierce’s stance places him outside the consensus. It also introduces a challenge for New York as it monitors the Giannis Antetokounmpo landscape. The Knicks protected Brunson throughout the first round of discussions. Now a Hall of Famer believes they might need to revisit that choice if the window opens again.
Burtland Dixon Burtland Dixon is a sports journalist covering the NBA and athlete culture for Heavy.com. A former Division II athlete turned journalist, he offers a unique blend of locker room perspective and storytelling expertise. He has more than eight years of experience in digital media and previously served as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with additional bylines at Idolator, Trend Chaser, and Buzznet. Burtland is based between California and New York. Instagram: @showmi_more More about Burtland Dixon
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