Dolan doesn't see Knicks making big moves amid Giannis rumors: 'We love our team'
New York Knicks governor James Dolan says he's unaware of any trade talks involving Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and doesn't appear to be interested in disrupting his club's locker room dynamic.
"We love our team right now," Dolan said Monday on WFAN's "The Carton Show with Craig Carton & Chris McMonigle," per SNY. "They have chemistry. They all like each other. I've never seen a locker room more copacetic.
"There's a lot of energy there. (President of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) can always overrule me, but I don't see us making a big change because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that."
New York and Milwaukee reportedly discussed a trade in August but couldn't strike a deal. Details regarding the players or draft picks involved remain unclear.
The Knicks are apparently Antetokounmpo's only desired trade destination if he were to leave the Bucks.
The two-time MVP is under contract through at least 2026-27 and has a $62.8-million player option for the following campaign. However, Antetokounmpo and his agent have reportedly begun speaking with Milwaukee about his long-term future with the franchise.
New York is looking to build on last season's run to the East finals. They sit second in the conference with a 23-12 record in Mike Brown's first year at the helm.
Dolan credited Tom Thibodeau, who the Knicks fired following the previous campaign, for laying down the foundation. However, the 70-year-old said he and Rose felt the club needed a change at head coach to take the next step.
"I won't say you can't win a title with Tom Thibodeau," Dolan said. "I don't necessarily know that's true. If you want to build a long-term, competitive (team), you need somebody who is much more of a collaborator than Tom was."
Dolan added: "Tom is still a great coach. He should coach again in the NBA. If I had a franchise that I was just starting with, he would be a gold mine to get. And he was like that for us when we first started and he first came in. He brought discipline. He brought strategy. He brought us all that way. But we really feel like we needed to make a change to go the rest of the way."