The Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is finally reaching the point of inevitability that many have long thought overdue. Now that a trade war is brewing on the horizon, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be comforted by the fact that it won't be a foregone conclusion Giannis joins the New York Knicks.
There were rumblings that Giannis and the Knicks shared mutual interest during the offseason. Nothing came to pass. With Antetokounmpo's exit from the Milwaukee Bucks feeling imminent, Shams Charania delivered the good news that it should not be a one-man race anymore.
Charania said, "If this does end up going down that path, where a trade is explored in-season, it's going to be well beyond just the Knicks from my understanding."
With the Cavaliers still talking themselves into being championship contenders for 2025-26, seeing your main rival in the Eastern Conference get a Giannis-sized upgrade would be a disaster. Cleveland should hope that Antetokounmpo is shipped out of the East altogether.
Cavaliers have a reason to cheer if Giannis Antetokounmpo heads West
Antetokounmpo to the Knicks is still a very real possibility. However, if the sweepstakes plays out during this campaign, there may be reason to believe New York would not be tripping over themselves to try and desperately sprint towards adding Giannis.
Ian Begley reported, "It would take a lot to get Giannis to New York. ... From a New York Knicks perspective, they like their team right now.
They like where they're at 20-plus games in. They're excited about what they've seen so far."
If not the bright lists of Madison Square Garden, what destination will be Antetokounmpo's next home? If the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes teaches the league anything, Giannis could end up just about anywhere.
The best-case scenario for the Cavaliers would be watching the Bucks superstar head to the Western Conference. There are several teams who could throw together a strong trade package for Antetokounmpo with relative ease. Those would be scenarios that Giannis could genuinely feel good about being championship environments too.
The main team that sticks out immediately would be the San Antonio Spurs. Giannis teaming up with Victor Wembanyama should be terrifying the NBA.
That terror would be kept away from the Cavaliers until a potential NBA Finals matchup. It would leave Cleveland to try and navigate a messy Eastern Conference that would only grow weaker with Giannis' departure. That does sound as close to ideal as this franchise can get right now.