Knicks Trash Can Theft Sparks Giveaway, No Need To Steal!

The NYC Department of Sanitation isn't wasting the opportunity to poke fun at the lady who lost her job for stealing a Knicks-themed trash can -- it's giving some bins away FOR FREE after the viral theft ... and winners can stay employed!!

The DSNY announced its giveaway on Friday ... with the cheeky tagline, "Stealing is a technical foul -- but entering this drawing to win a full-sized litter basket is a clean win for all New Yorkers."

To really lean into it, the dept. added "No Need to KNICK a Bin" to the form ... and five lucky fans will be able to pick up a blue and orange basket from lower Manhattan.

The raffle is a direct response to the viral Angie Baez video ... which showed the woman dumping trash on the street so she could have her own bin after the Knicks' championship parade last week.

Pretty cool souvenir ... but it also came with a pink slip, as Baez lost her gig as a senior exec at JPMorgan Chase over it all. At least she won't face any legal trouble -- NYPD told us earlier this week there was no complaint report on the incident.