Knicks making the ECF might’ve given them a false hope of their reality. Sure, reaching there for the first time in 25 years might be something to remember. But their dependency on Jalen Brunson is so evident that even they know they’d never make it again unless they had a solution for it. The Clutch Player of the Year is one of the best in the league. But is he good enough to carry an entire team to a championship on his back? Maybe, but not without the burden exacting a toll on his longevity. There’s an obvious solution – and it involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis is arguably the talk of the town this off-season. He’ll be getting more DMs than those who get to make history on the 19th of this month. But we won’t know anything until his sit-down with the Bucks at the end of the season. The rumor mill has churned out ideas that could see him make a move to any of the 29 other teams. But which team needs him? A team contending for the championship in need of a star-studded attack seems to be the best fit for the Greek. Suddenly, the Knicks seem to be an amazing fit for him.

Antetokounmpo’s priority is staying in the East. And the Knicks are arguably the biggest organization there. But more so, Giannis coming in could ease the burden of Brunson, and Jalen would be in the best position long term. Former guard Jay Williams spoke on this, calling it a coup that New York needs to be moving heaven and Earth to make.

“So all I’m gonna say is throughout the longevity for Brunson’s career, due to the fact that he absorbs so much physicality, I don’t need him to carry the load every single night during the course of an 82 regular game season schedule and into the playoffs. I need him to remain fresh and that’s gonna help the longevity of his career… Now, look, you’re gonna have to give up a lot of pieces and assets in order to get that, but I think in the best long-term interest of Jalen Brunson, if you wanna keep him around, Giannis is the player that I think matches that and helps sustain a longer career for Brunson,” said Jay on a segment of Get Up ESPN.

It won’t be easy to get the Greek, though. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best thing to happen to Milwaukee basketball since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They ain’t letting go of their best player in 50 years for peanuts. The Bucks will be hoping for a bucket load of cash, players, and trade assets in exchange. But the Knicks’ pockets are too empty for such a coup. They only have one first-round pick to trade and a 2026 top-8 protected pick from the Wizards.

To be honest, New York has enough problems in their current roster to look up to the skies for a Greek god to come in and save the day. Do they have a dependency on Jalen Brunson? Possibly. But Karl-Anthony Towns has announced himself in the playoffs. Seeing him in a flow state during their attack made them relive their glory days once again. But that’s just in his attacking prowess, though. For a 7-foot center, his defensive qualities are something to work on. So much so that it got the Knicks locker room frustrated after their Game 6 crash against the Pacers.

Knicks’ internal frustration broiled due to Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive shortcomings

Seeing the Pacers thoroughly enjoying themselves in the second half would’ve sent fans like Spike Lee and Timothée Chalamet back to Hollywood focus. But that’s what being a Knickerbocker has been like over the past couple of decades. All the glamor, and nothing to show for it. This was the year it all was supposed to come together, with newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns filling in the void left by Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Isaiah Hartenstein going out the door.

There was never a doubt about the big Dominican offensive contributions. He’s averaged 24.4/12.8/3.1 while shooting 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 42% from deep. KAT was brought in to be the massive 5 who can stretch the court with his wide reach and dominating physical presence. But his shocking defending left little to wonder. SI reported that most of the Knicks locker room was even left frustrated with KAT’s defending in the series.

“Behind the scenes, [players] and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter,” wrote James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz.

To be honest, Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Knicks is a far-fetched reality. Will it help them? Absolutely. But Giannis is the type of guy who’ll help any team. And they have more pressing matters to resolve right now. Would you classify this Knicks season as a success?