On January 13, Beijing time, according to a report by Stein, the Nets' ultimate goal is the Bucks star Antetokounmpo, who has hoarded a lot of draft assets for the next few years, and Nets general manager Marks may continue to trade for draft picks before the trade deadline. The Nets don't plan to sign or trade superstars in the summer of 2025, have no plans to bring in Butler, and they are mulling a bigger move in the hope of trading for a brother in the future.

The Nets have incredible salary flexibility this summer, freeing up to $70 million in salary space, and they also have a wealth of draft assets, with 15 first-round picks over the next seven years, 12 of which can be traded. The Nets have already sent away Schroder and Finney-Smith in trades, and are expected to send away players such as Cameron Johnson.

Even so, Stein said that the Nets will not make a big move to bring in reinforcements right away, and their dream goal is Antetokounmpo. There's no indication that Antetokounmpo will request a trade from the Bucks, but once he does, the Nets will put themselves in a position to make the best offer in the first place.

He has four years left on his contract and totals more than $224 million. This includes a three-year, $175.4 million contract extension starting next season. In recent years, he has said he doesn't know if he'll play his entire career in Milwaukee. However, he has never expressed interest in joining other teams other than the Bucks.

Before the game against the Knicks, he averaged 31.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, shooting 60.2% from the field. After an initial slump, the Bucks have recently returned to normal and have risen to No. 4 in the East.