Team Note: Bridges has been unable to renew his contract because the Knicks waited for Antetokounmpo s movements

According to Knicks reporter Ian Begley, the Knicks are still paying close attention to the Bucks' updates. Mikal Bridges has not completed a contract renewal with the team for a long time, and one of the important reasons is related to the future direction of the Bucks core Antetokounmpo.

It is reported that the New York Knicks are closely monitoring the Milwaukee Bucks' Antetokounmpo trading trends. If the Knicks renewed their contract with Bridges now, he will not be able to trade him for the next six months. Therefore, the team may wait until Antetokounmpo's whereabouts are clear before making a decision.

Entering the offseason, whether Antetokounmpo will make a trade request has become the focus of all teams in the league. Shams reported in May that Antetokounmpo "had no firm decisions about the future of the Bucks" but he was "open to exploring whether to stay in Milwaukee or go elsewhere." Since then, there have been more signs that Antetokounmpo is willing to stay in Milwaukee.

ESPN's Vincen said last month that teams have accepted the fact that Antetokounmpo doesn't want to be traded. Recently, Antetokounmpo himself also said that he "may" stayed in the Bucks and "loved Milwaukee." Still, the Knicks and other teams are waiting for Antetokounmpo to confirm that he won't ask for a deal. If Antetokounmpo joins the Knicks, they will turn them from a championship team to a favorite.

Bridges performed well in his first season in New York, averaging 17.6 points per game, becoming the third scorer after Brunson and Towns. His contract is still one year away from expiration and his salary is $24.9 million next season.