If Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks demands to leave the team, the New York Knicks may have the advantage in getting him. According to Marc Stein of “The Stein Line,” on Monday, the Knicks are targeting Portland Trail Blazers star guard Jrue Holiday. Stein pointed out two reasons as to why the franchise wants to acquire Holiday.
One of the reasons New York has been linked to the two-time champion is that it could give them a chance to land Antetokounmpo. Both players played together in Milwaukee and won an NBA title in 2021. The other reason for the Knicks is to boost the defense of their backcourt. Having Holiday share the floor with Jalen Brunson could take some load off their franchise star.
On Tuesday, Knicks reporter Ian Begley gave further details about the team’s potential interest in Holiday.
“I do know that just the idea is — from teams kind of intersted in Giannis, the idea would be that Giannis would enjoy playing with Holiday again,” Begley said.
"The idea would be that Giannis would enjoy playing with Jrue Holiday again"
Ian talks about Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and how the Knicks fit in to trade rumors surrounding the pair on The Putback with @IanBegley pic.twitter.com/vFkKdoUl3A
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 27, 2026
“Trading for Jrue makes you more enticing for Giannis, in terms of if he can try to finagle his way to a certain destination. You have Holiday, a guy he wants to play with. That probably moves you up on his list in terms of preferred destinations.”
Begley added that he hasn’t confirmed if the Knicks’ interest in Holiday is independent of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
An injured Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t stopping teams from contacting the Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a calf strain and has an uncertain timetable regarding his return. But that hasn’t stopped other organizations from reaching out to the Bucks to do a trade. Stein reported about it on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday.
“I’m still hearing rumbles that there are teams out there trying to get the Bucks to do this now,” Stein said.
Stein added that the Bucks have stood their ground and are not looking to trade the two-time MVP.
For the latest Basketball Content
Follow me on X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at reignamuraonba@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
