Giannis Antetokounmpo seeing Knicks as destination a big win for franchise

You can glance at the schedule and assure yourself that the Knicks are 0-0. The first regular-season game won’t arrive until Oct. 22, when the Cavaliers visit Madison Square Garden.

But make no mistake about it, the Knicks already have recorded one win.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo told the Bucks that if his time there eventually comes to an end, the only team he’d consider joining is the Knicks, it marked a win that might be the highlight of the tenure of the franchise’s leadership over the last five years.

When Leon Rose took over as team president and the rebuild began — with much credit to Tom Thibodeau — the Knicks were still reeling from the 2019 free-agency debacle. With a star-filled class that summer, the Knicks had dreams of signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or at least Kawhi Leonard, but they could never even get a visit from those players.

Now, whether you want to credit it to Rose, Thibodeau, Jalen Brunson or all of the above, the Knicks find themselves not only occupying the most iconic arena in the biggest city but also possessing the sort of stability that has attracted Antetokounmpo to put them as the only possible stop on his wish list.

And really, the union of Antetokounmpo and the Knicks never has to come to fruition to record that victory. The better question for the Knicks might be this: Could they even do it? And if they could, should they?

The reality is that it’s probably a year away from a possible decision, and that’s a good thing for all involved. I wouldn’t rule anything out because the Knicks already have made two major moves as they seemed set on an upward trajectory — swinging the trade for Karl-Anthony Towns a year ago and then firing Thibodeau days after last season ended in the Eastern Conference finals.

And you can’t rule out any deal after seeing what the Dallas Mavericks did with Luka Doncic last season.

But Antetokounmpo pushing the decision to the future gives the Bucks a chance to prove to him that it’s worth staying in Milwaukee. It also gives the Knicks a chance to see how this latest incarnation of their roster works with the new coach, Mike Brown.

If the Knicks decide that another major move is necessary to break a championship drought that has grown to more than 50 years, it also gives them time to try to accumulate the assets necessary to swing a deal for one of the top five players in the NBA.

The Knicks certainly seemed willing to lock into this roster when they gave Mikal Bridges a four-year, $150 million contract extension this summer. The timing would allow him to be moved at the trade deadline in February or next summer. While the Knicks have some assets in talent with Bridges, OG Anunoby or Towns that could be the basis of any deal — with Brunson the untouchable piece — they have emptied out the long-held draft assets that Rose and the front office had accumulated.

A hint of the Knicks’ interest could come soon, though. League sources indicate that the Knicks are hopeful of making deals to restock the draft assets, which likely would be required if the Bucks decide to move on from Antetokounmpo.

That matches up with the Knicks’ interest in moving one of their contracts to free up space to keep two of the veterans in camp on non-guaranteed contracts, with Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews competing for those spots. The Knicks could move Pacome Dadiet or Tyler Kolek and free up the space under the second apron, but if they really want to get assets back, they would have to move a player of the caliber of Deuce McBride.

Moving a valuable player in McBride who is in the middle of a bargain contract might not make sense to the championship aspirations this season, but it could make sense if the Knicks are more interested in draft capital than fitting a veteran into the back end of the roster right now.

Mitchell Robinson fits in that category, too, entering the final season of a four-year deal with a cap hit of $12.9 million.

The front office rarely has allowed itself to lose a useful piece without bringing something back in return, and it can’t be blamed for wanting to see Robinson go through a season healthy before committing to him.

But with Towns, Guerschon Yabusele and Ariel Hukporti, they have enough depth at center to make up for moving the rebounding and defensive presence of Robinson.

So while any pursuit of Antetokounmpo might be a year away, hints of the Knicks’ intentions could come very soon.

First impressions

Speaking of Robinson, when Brown was asked Thursday what he thought of his first few weeks with the center, it wasn’t his rebounding that was the first thing to come to mind.

“He’s been impressive. You don’t really know guys until you get around them,” Brown said. “Most impressive thing is he’s got a collection of monster trucks, they’re out of this world. He drove a blue one yesterday. Before I saw him in my rearview mirror, I heard him playing country music. His. monster trucks are impressive. It’s unique to see a guy have a hobby that’s different than everybody else around him. So that tells me a little bit about his personality right there. He’s got a great personality.

“Obviously, basketball-wise, you think he’s athletic, but some of the lobs that he catches are just amazing. And then you know he’s got good feet and he can switch on to certain guys, but to actually see him sit down and step-slide and guard guys, all that other stuff, it’s pretty impressive.

“You know, he’s been a pleasure to be around and he is definitely a lot better than you think from the outside, knowing that he’s already a really good player. But he also has some personality to him that makes him unique.”

Even championships come with drama

I just got a copy of “A Hollywood Ending,” the new book by Yaron Weitzman about the Lakers' and LeBron James' championship and all that surrounds it. And the best review I could give you besides telling you that like his last book — “Tanking to the Top,” about the Philadelphia 76ers' strategy — the organization that is the subject is very unhappy to have its warts revealed. The Lakers' on-the-record cooperation was very limited and instead mostly consisted of legal threats. But LeBron, the Buss family, a championship and all the way through the Danny Hurley chase makes for a great read for the start of LeBron’s — last/second-to-last/middle of career — season.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.