The New York Knicks are one of the hottest destinations as the team enters the 2025-26 NBA season as legitimate championship contenders. Although the iconic franchise has one of the best rosters within the league, it seems like the front office is keen to make it unstoppable. Even Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo chose the Big Apple as his next destination if he had to make a move. While the negotiations died after the Knicks failed to make a solid offer, the front office refuses to give up on its dream.

Well, there’s no doubt that the Knicks are hard-capped by the second apron and have almost no assets to tempt the Bucks. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll let go of what seems like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to land a player like Giannis. So, with the clock ticking to decide their final roster, new head coach Mike Brown and the rest of the management have decided to cut down three players.

Right now, 5:00 p.m. EST is the deadline to waive non-guaranteed players and select their final 15 standard and 3 two-way players. What does that mean for the Knicks? Well, according to Knicks reporter Steve Popper, “For the Knicks, this will mean Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, and Matt Ryan will be officially waived today. With two ways for Tosan Evbuomwan, Kevin McCullar, and Trey Jemison, that brings the roster down to 14.”

Apart from Ryan, the other two didn’t suit up for the Knicks for once, and their last season’s performance hasn’t been up to the mark either. Ryan had an average of 1.5 playing 19 games, whereas Len played 46 games, scoring 74 points in total. Mathews, on the other hand, managed an average of 7.5 in his 47 games. The Knicks waiving Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, and Matt Ryan will bring them down to 14 players means they have space for 1.

So after waiving the three, the Knicks roster will stay that way at least for the first few months of the season. That’s because they already have enough depth, and not to mention their second apron issues. While these are the two major factors, another huge reason that could have prompted the Knicks to enter the new season with one open roster spot could be that they are closely monitoring Giannis’ situation in Milwaukee.

Insider reveals Giannis Antetokounmpo trade depends on Knicks’ form

Although the New York Knicks leaving a roster spot open might not look like much, it might be their way of subtly telling that they haven’t given up on Greek Freak. However, that doesn’t mean the franchise is all set to make a move immediately. The Knicks front office, as per ESPN’s Vince Goodwill, will wait and watch how they fare at the start of the regular season before the February deadline.

“Off the floor, the Antetokounmpo situation will hang over the team all season following the revelation that the Knicks and Bucks discussed a potential trade of the power forward this offseason. Several key players will be on notice and have an eye on what’s going on with Milwaukee to track Antetokounmpo’s frame of mind,” Goodwill wrote. He noted that while a few of the Knicks’ key players will be on notice, all eyes will be on their start.

“On the floor, the Knicks want to play faster on offense and shoot more 3s, but it has been a work in progress through four preseason games. The Knicks have a favorable schedule to start the season, which should provide an early window into how the Mike Brown era will look in New York,” he further stated. It’s safe to say that it won’t be easy for the franchise to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, it’s not impossible.

More so, if somehow the Mike Brown era doesn’t start as expected, we could be seeing New York willing to deal away a few of its key players to add the two-time MVP. Given that the Milwaukee Bucks star is set to earn a whopping $54.1 million next season, the players the Knicks will have to be some of their superstars, such as OG Anunoby and Miles Bridges. Now, will they be willing to take that risk or not? That’s something we’ll only get to know once the regular season tips off.