Currently, the Miami Heat are widely considered the favorites to land superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. That said, the NBA landscape changes surprisingly quickly.
One Eastern Conference team worth continuing to monitor is the New York Knicks. While it would be hard to make a case for New York to break up its core should they win the Finals, a blown series lead could have them second-guessing that decision.
The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping that's the case. NBA insider Marc Stein recently mentioned that the Bucks are expected to wait until the Finals are over before deciding on Giannis' future.
"There is an increasing belief leaguewide that they would prefer to wait until after the NBA Finals before completing a deal to see if the Knicks end up squandering a 2-0 series lead. Might the Knicks then decide to re-enter the Giannis Trade Sweepstakes in response to the disappointment of letting the title slip away?"
A Knicks Finals loss could change the Blazers' entire offseason
The Finals outcome indirectly affects offseason decisions around the league. For the Portland Trail Blazers in particular, it's significant given their connections to the Bucks as a potential Giannis facilitator.
If the Bucks take the Heat package, for example, the Blazers should have far less incentive to facilitate a multi-team deal that sends those picks back to Milwaukee. Outside of perhaps Kel'el Ware, there's nobody on Miami's roster that should intrigue Portland to the point where they are willing to sacrifice those valuable picks.
Not to mention, GM Joe Cronin has already made his stance on Miami's assets clear when he spurned them in the Damian Lillard blockbuster, preferring Milwaukee's package instead.
If the Knicks ultimately lose the Finals, they could suddenly be open to trading Karl-Anthony Towns, which would change things drastically for both Portland and Milwaukee. Then, it's worthwhile to get involved in the sweepstakes, especially given how impactful Towns has been this series. He's contained Victor Wembanyama surprisingly well due to his combination of size and relative speed, proving to be one of the few bigs in the league capable of slowing down the Spurs superstar.
Offensively, Towns is one of the best floor spacing bigs in league history. That would be huge for Portland's offense, seeing as three-point shooting is the top offseason priority. Additionally, Towns' ability to space the floor gives the Blazers another frontcourt dimension and flexibility, should they decide to go double-big for stretches, alongside Donovan Clingan.
Unless it's a four-plus team deal that lands a star from elsewhere, Portland should patiently stand pat if Giannis is sent to Miami this summer. But if New York manages to lose the Finals and feels compelled to upgrade their roster yet again, things get a lot more interesting for Portland.
