Knicks just sent loud message to the NBA about Giannis’ future

The New York Knicks signing Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $150 million extension has significant implications across the NBA, primarily indicating that Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlikely to be traded this offseason. While Giannis requesting a trade was always improbable, speculation persisted partly due to his noncommittal answers about his future, with the Knicks among teams hoping he might become available and list them as a destination.

However, the Knicks face disadvantages in any potential Giannis pursuit, lacking tradeable first-round picks until next summer and blue-chip young players to offer. Their strategy would have relied on Milwaukee's pressure to remain competitive and offering veterans not named Jalen Brunson. The Bridges extension directly impacts this scenario: because the extension raises his 2026-27 salary by over 20%, NBA rules prevent him from being traded to any team for six months, making him ineligible for an offseason deal, though he could be traded near the February deadline.

While the Knicks had valid reasons to extend Bridges regardless – securing cost certainty for their core and avoiding a potentially more expensive free agency deal in 2026 – the decision to proceed with the extension suggests they factored in Giannis's likely unavailability this summer. Bridges was arguably their best trade asset, and removing him from potential trade packages weakens an already questionable offer. This move signals the Knicks' belief that Giannis will not be traded before February at the earliest, if not until next offseason, a conclusion other interested teams should note.