Steve Popper: Knicks' hot streak makes trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo even more unlikely

A little over a week ago, with the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors beginning to grow louder and the Knicks mired in a slump in which they lost nine of 11 games, it seemed as if any combination of deals to shift their roster and their fortunes was on the table. And now, with five straight wins and the pieces falling into place, there is a calm at Madison Square Garden.

Actually, none of the rumors reflect the reality of the Knicks' front office — or really any front office. The rumors rarely come to fruition and the work doesn’t start just before the deadline or with a loss on the court. It's an every-day duty.

And one thing that we’ve learned in the moves, if not the words, of Leon Rose and his front office is that panic has not been the default mode. In his time as team president, Rose has brought stability and sanity to a franchise that had little of it for decades.

So while the Knicks are on the phones and certainly remain interested in chasing Antetokounmpo, breaking up the roster that has been built over the last five years — one that Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan has said he believes could win a title this season — isn’t the plan.

For the Knicks to get in on Antetokounmpo, that’s what it might take — dealing away key pieces to obtain the sort of assets that the Milwaukee Bucks are seeking: young star talent and first-round picks. Antetokounmpo may want New York, but any deal likely would have to include Karl-Anthony Towns to match the contract and would send out other key pieces to get picks.

One person with knowledge of the Portland Trail Blazers' plan scoffed at the notion of them aiding the deal by sending picks to Milwaukee in a package that would land them Mikal Bridges.

So here are the obstacles to an Antetokounmpo deal for the Knicks:

* They don’t have a young blue-chip talent to send out.

* They don’t have first-round picks to trade, other than the 2026 Wizards pick, which is top eight-protected and likely to turn into two second-round picks.

* Dealing Towns would mean relying on Mitchell Robinson to be the full-time center when minutes and game restrictions have remained in place for two seasons now.  Robinson potentially is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, too.

* Other teams are really interested in inserting themselves into the chase for Antetokounmpo  and can help the Bucks rebuild in a way the Knicks can’t. But the other teams mentioned as the most aggressive suitors — Miami, Golden State and Minnesota — also don’t have the sort of package that the Bucks reportedly are seeking. Picks they have, but a young blue-chip talent to build around and keep the fan base satisfied? No.

* By the way, if Antetokounmpo  still is a top-five player in the NBA, shouldn’t the Bucks' asking price include the likes of Jalen Brunson from the Knicks, Anthony Edwards from the Timberwolves, etc.? They certainly are viewed as untouchable, and rightly so, but the Bucks likely have seen the lessons of the Mavericks and since-fired general manager Nico Harrison, who dealt away Luka Doncic without shopping for the best package.

While any deal for Antetokounmpo by Thursday’s deadline seems a long shot for any team, the Knicks' chances could be better in the summer, when they not only will have access to picks to include in the deal but will have a better idea of whether this team actually can get to the level they imagine they can be.

See no evil — or trade talk

Maybe it was just a coincidence of timing, both ready to speak in the locker room at the same time, or maybe it was Brunson doing what he does as a team captain, but when he and Towns were set to speak Friday night, Brunson crossed the room and joined Towns to conduct a group session.

And when Brunson had answered most all of the questions — including a first from Towns, asking what it felt like to reach 10,000 career points; Brunson said, “Feels great, next question” — at the end, he said, “Any questions for KAT?”

Towns smiled and said, “No. No, no, no, no. I'm just happy to be here.”

“We understand that we have no control over the noise out there,” Mike Brown said. “We’re gonna have to have a bunker mentality. Not just during the trade deadline, but all the time, because there is a lot of noise out there. We’re all human. You try not to listen to it, you just try to stay together and you keep moving forward, trying to get better as the days go on. I think that’s what this group is trying to do.”

Last shot for LeBron?

The Lakers will face the Knicks on Sunday night, and the ticket is a hot commodity because of the possibility that it could be LeBron James' last visit to Madison Square Garden.

James, 41, is in his 23rd NBA season. While it seems unlikely that he will end his career this season — has there ever been a player who seems more bound for a season-long farewell tour? — it’s still a show when he arrives.

Maybe there’s more of a chance that this is his last go-round with the Lakers and that he will find a new home next season for a last ring chase. A finish where it all began in his hometown with the Cavaliers on a low-cost deal would make sense.

Brown, who coached James with the Cavaliers (including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2007) and with the Lakers, wasn’t guessing but is looking forward to the visit.

“He’s gotta be, if he’s not, the smartest guy that I’ve been around. In terms of feel and all that stuff, he’s definitely top three,” Brown said. “Unbelievable talent, unbelievable human being. He’s done a lot for the community. He’s done a lot for the NBA. He’s earned the right to play as long as he wants and he’s definitely doing it. And he’s doing it at a high level.”

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.