and the proposed Giannis trades are flying, via BR, the 3 leaders in the clubhouse are duly mentioned
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25191485-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-landing-spots-would-be-rockets-warriors-thunder-morePotential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore and three first-round picks
Tough time seeing (4) young players going out from HOU, they would still have Sengun\Thompson & Eason though + Van Fleet & Brooks
Not hard to imagine, (1) of those 1st's + swap coming from POR or NO either, in exchange for some of those young players (Smith\Whitmore\Sheppard would be preferred I would think).
Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Thunder for Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topić and four first-round picks
Got to love BR...So let me get this right, HOU has to give up (4) young players + (3) 1st's, but OKC just has to give up (1) more 1st + Wallace\Topic? That is absurd. I think it would cost a lot more than that (in terms of players).
Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Spurs for Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and four first-round picks
I think Castle would have to be a part of any deal, HOU deal sure looks the best of all 3 though.
From the RInger, they have some out of the box teams:
https://www.theringer.com/2025/04/30/nba/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-rumors-milwaukee-bucks-offseasonBucks receive: Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, and Orlando’s first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 for Giannis.
Wagner & (4) 1st's + (2) swaps for Giannis? That is....intriguing? I think Wagner is the guy to keep over Banchero, I am not sure how Banchero\Giannis work together, but Wagner\Giannis could work
Bucks receive: Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and a modest assortment of draft picks for Giannis.
I have seen ATL mentioned before, Trae\Daniels\Giannis\Okongwu? Not bad...
Bucks receive: Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, Tobias Harris, a 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, and 2031 first-round pick for Giannis.
I don't think this is enough, Cade\Giannis pairing is nice though. I would think other teams could include better picks, more enticing young talent?
Bucks receive: Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, plus one of the Suns’ future firsts
Another HOU idea, I am sure MIL would ask about Sengun, would HOU trade him though? I wouldn't. They have enough young talent and picks to offer instead. Is Green a great get? He is signed to a big contract now and has been underwhelming in the playoffs.
Bucks receive: Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic, Aaron Wiggins, Dillon Jones, two to four first-rounders, and some leftover quinoa from Sam Presti
Better than the offer from BR, (4) 1st's + Wallace\Wiggins\Topic & Jones. Still think HOU (and ORL) offers are better
Bucks receive: Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and a plethora of picks and swaps for Giannis.
Depends on the plethora? Otherwise, this could work, hate the idea of Wemby\Giannis together....ugh
Bucks receive: Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, and a bounty of picks
What is the "bounty" of picks, they don't have a ton TO trade and all they have is their own, so is that worth much? Feels light on the young prospects and why would MIl want Siakam>?
Some interesting notes about POR & NO from CBS, actually interesting notes about every tem, good read.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-rumors-ranking-all-29-nba-teams-as-possible-landing-spots-after-bucks-early-exit/Portland Trail Blazers: Portland is in the same boat as New Orleans. The Blazers won't get Giannis, but they control Milwaukee's first-round picks in 2028, 2029 and 2030, so they're an obvious facilitator. They rank above New Orleans because, well, they don't have arguably the worst ownership-front office combination in basketball.
Bad front office, cheap ownership, injury-prone star at the same position, no thank you, at least as a landing spot. Keep an eye on the Pelicans as a facilitator, though. They control Milwaukee's first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, so if the Bucks want to tank, they have to work with New Orleans.
Miami Heat: Octagon represents three superstars. One of them is Antetokounmpo. Another is Bam Adebayo. We'll get to the third later. Agency packaging is a real thing in the NBA, just ask the Klutch Lakers or CAA Knicks. Miami has pulled rabbits out of the star hat before, and the Heat have been linked to Antetokounmpo every time his name has hit the rumor mill. Making a fair offer to the Bucks is the hard part, especially if Adebayo isn't involved. Tyler Herro is a Wisconsin native, which helps, and Kel'El Ware showed a lot of promise as a rookie. But the Heat owe out two first-round picks and the rest of their young players have disappointed. They can sneak into the top 10, but no further.
The agent angle is not something I though of
Oklahoma City Thunder: You're going to hear a lot about the Thunder in these conversations, but it would be so out of character for them to do this. They've been so methodical in this rebuild, with Sam Presti saying last season that they "have to finish our breakfast before we start acting like we're on the cusp of something." They could probably sew up two or three titles with an Antetokounmpo trade if they stayed healthy, but that's never a guarantee, and the Thunder like to bake risk into their roster-building. They're hoarding these picks so they can replace cheap players when they get expensive, not so they can take one, massive swing. Why break up a 68-win team for an older one? The Thunder already have everything they need right now.
This is a great point, OKC knows they cannot pay everyone, but they have picks to replace those players and they can trade picks for future picks, which I expect them to do with 1 or more of the 2/3 1st's they have this year
New York Knicks: The Knicks don't have picks and they don't have youth. That right there might be eliminating. But they do have veterans. Milwaukee is a small market. Ownership might want to emphasize ticket sales. A package of, say, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart could help them do that. Remember, the Bucks don't control their picks. There's no incentive here to be bad. While I wouldn't argue for intentional mediocrity, it could at least help them pay the bills while they ride out their outstanding pick debt.
Interesting point, not sure I agree with it though.
Boston Celtics: Scrap this concept if Boston defends its championship. Obviously the Celtics wouldn't break up a back-to-back title winner. Just consider the situation holistically if they don't. Boston has a new owner coming in, and new owners often want to make a splash. Wyc Grousbeck is retaining governorship for a few years in the transition, but that doesn't mean Bill Chisholm won't have influence. The Celtics also have a historic luxury tax bill coming next season and figure to be prohibitively expensive moving forward because they have five players who are either on or deserve pricey long-term deals. Trimming that number down to three or four through trades would be a sneaky way to save money, and obviously getting Antetokounmpo helps mitigate the negative effects of lost depth. Boston controls most of its picks, so it can put together a diverse trade package. And Jaylen Brown is probably the best player we've talked about seriously in this space so far. Again, this only becomes viable if the Celtics lose at some point in the playoffs. But we live in a world in which three of this decade's five championship coaches have already been fired. Change comes quickly in this sport, and good luck stopping Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum on the same team.
Interesting, I have thought for a while that Brown will eventually be dealt...
The Spurs don't have veterans to dangle here, but they do have youth (Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan) and a mountain of picks from other teams. Just put all of it on the table. You have your point guard in Fox. You wouldn't need to invest anything else in defense with Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama together. Just use whatever resources are left to go get shooters and you're good to go.
Yes, very compelling...and depressing
Golden State Warriors: Remember when Anthony Davis went to the Lakers? It wasn't because they had the most to offer (they didn't) or because they were the best basketball situation for him (they weren't). It was because, in a back room somewhere, he and LeBron James decided they wanted to play together in a cool city. That is very often the way these things work. Two stars have a preexisting relationship, decide they want to team up, and do everything in their power to make it happen. Who could that star be for Antetokounmpo? The obvious answer is Stephen Curry, the other Octagon All-Star we mentioned earlier. The two frequently picked each other in All-Star drafts. They're incredibly complimentary of one another in interviews. By all accounts, the two are friendly. Do the Warriors have that much to trade? No. But they control most of their picks, have a few decent youngsters, and could probably generate some more value by flipping Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green. The Warriors have been after Antetokounmpo for years. If they have a real chance, they'll do what it takes to get him.
There is the agent angle, that would be something, and I think it possible. Isn't Kuminga not long for GS as well? Wonder how pissed Butler would be? maybe he could end up in PHX though?
Houston Rockets: The Rockets can afford any superstar they want. They control their own picks. They control future picks from the Suns, Mavericks and Nets. They have a lottery pick this year (courtesy of, you guessed it, the Suns). They have a young All-Star in Alperen Sengun. Amen Thompson is even more promising. There's plenty of other young talent. Their team option on Fred VanVleet creates an easy, expiring matching salary. Antetokounmpo is not a snug fit with the current roster, which barely has any shooting, but the Rockets can retrofit as needed given all of the assets they've accumulated. If Milwaukee has its pick in a vacuum, it would probably be the Rockets. But there's another asset-rich team that might be just a bit more appealing.
Yep, #1 contender right here, and SA at #2 IMO. Could be good news for POR though (Whitmore? Smith Jr?)
Brooklyn Nets: Our own Bill Reiter was the first to report the Nets as a Giannis favorite all the way back in October. The rumor mill hasn't slowed down since. The Nets aren't as good immediately as the Rockets, but they play in a more desirable market. Think of them as the big-city version of the Jazz. The plan would be to divide its assets in half, using some to snag Antetokounmpo and the rest to get him his co-star. If they happen to get Flagg, then all the better, they could preserve even more assets for the co-star. Would this necessarily be Antetokounmpo's cleanest path to another ring? No, probably not. But it's a chance for him to build his own team in one of the NBA's two most player-friendly markets. This logic got Durant to Brooklyn six years ago. It could very easily do the same for Antetokounmpo.
This would be fascinating to see what that BRK with Giannis ends up like. Again, POR could be a facilitator here as well and maybe some of their vets (Ayton\Grant\Simons) might have appeal to put alongside Giannis?
