WT: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Future With Bucks 'The Elephant In The Room' In NBA

[ConSarnit]

We don't have the Indy pick. Those offers would also get laughed out of the gym.

Yeah the deal starts with Scottie and then we have to add a ton more.

I can't seem them taking any deal without him.

Milwaukee is clearly in rebuild mode and the cost certainty and term on contracts makes sense for them.

I stand behind my valuation. If Scottie does get moved, imo he’d be the bpa Milwaukee would get. Doubt we do it.

Think about the team you are asking MIL to build in your trade:

RJ
Dick
Poeltl
Non-lotto ‘26 1st

You would have MIL building our team minus Barnes, IQ and actual good draft assets. You’re building a MIL team that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs, has zero high upside players and is in heavy pick debt.

There is zero chance the Bucks would ever take a package like that. It would be the worst package ever traded for a star. Your trade would make the Luka trade look reasonable.

[Merit]

Yeah the deal starts with Scottie and then we have to add a ton more.

I can't seem them taking any deal without him.

Milwaukee is clearly in rebuild mode and the cost certainty and term on contracts makes sense for them.

I stand behind my valuation. If Scottie does get moved, imo he’d be the bpa Milwaukee would get. Doubt we do it.

Think about the team you are asking MIL to build in your trade:

RJ
Dick
Poeltl
Non-lotto ‘26 1st

You would have MIL building our team minus Barnes, IQ and actual good draft assets. You’re building a MIL team that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs, has zero high upside players and is in heavy pick debt.

There is zero chance the Bucks would ever take a package like that. It would be the worst package ever traded for a star. Your trade would make the Luka trade look reasonable.

Last I checked, Milwaukee would be rebuilding. Pretty sure this team would lose in the near term and win over time with development. If you believe in the players on the raps, why wouldn’t you believe in them on Milwaukee too?

No idea if it happens, but yeah - I’m tripling down. I’ve been wrong before so I’m not too worried.

Vince Carter says hello. The hard cap says hello. Small market says hey and Giannis’ ties to Masai and international passport are a bonus and worth considering as well.

Edit: I haven’t checked Milwaukee’s owed picks situation, but that could change things.

PG IQ
SG RJ
SF Gradey
PF Kuzma
C Jak

Is a solid enough starting 5 that are all under 30 and under contract.

[PushDaRock]

Milwaukee is clearly in rebuild mode and the cost certainty and term on contracts makes sense for them.

I stand behind my valuation. If Scottie does get moved, imo he’d be the bpa Milwaukee would get. Doubt we do it.

Think about the team you are asking MIL to build in your trade:

RJ
Dick
Poeltl
Non-lotto ‘26 1st

You would have MIL building our team minus Barnes, IQ and actual good draft assets. You’re building a MIL team that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs, has zero high upside players and is in heavy pick debt.

There is zero chance the Bucks would ever take a package like that. It would be the worst package ever traded for a star. Your trade would make the Luka trade look reasonable.

Last I checked, Milwaukee would be rebuilding. Pretty sure this team would lose in the near term and win over time with development. If you believe in the players on the raps, why wouldn’t you believe in them on Milwaukee too?

No idea if it happens, but yeah - I’m tripling down. I’ve been wrong before so I’m not too worried.

Rebuilding for what exactly? They don't have their own pick till 2031. How does losing help them?

[Merit]

Think about the team you are asking MIL to build in your trade:

RJ
Dick
Poeltl
Non-lotto ‘26 1st

You would have MIL building our team minus Barnes, IQ and actual good draft assets. You’re building a MIL team that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs, has zero high upside players and is in heavy pick debt.

There is zero chance the Bucks would ever take a package like that. It would be the worst package ever traded for a star. Your trade would make the Luka trade look reasonable.

Last I checked, Milwaukee would be rebuilding. Pretty sure this team would lose in the near term and win over time with development. If you believe in the players on the raps, why wouldn’t you believe in them on Milwaukee too?

No idea if it happens, but yeah - I’m tripling down. I’ve been wrong before so I’m not too worried.

Rebuilding for what exactly? They don't have their own pick till 2031. How does losing help them?

Yeah that’s my blind spot. Will have to reflect and adjust. They’re gonna want more picks, but fortunately we (the raptors) have more picks we can offer.

[Tripod]

This is never why you go all in and kill your future picks for 6 years

[Psubs]

Poeltl, Barrett, Dick, Agbaji, #2 pick and 2027 1st pick for Giannis.

[Zeno]

The starting point for Gianniis is our draft over the next 7 years, 4-1sts/3 swaps. It is then a question of making up the salary to match too. I suspect the Bucks will be in a ‘do right by Giannis’ mode to a small degree so I don’t necessarily think it would have to include Scottie but is Scottie and Gianni’s really that great a fit anyway? at the end of the day, I don’t think he is going anywhere that is not on his list and why would we be unless that Masai relationship is way more significant like people have dreamt it to be in the past. I don’t think this is the time for this type of move for us yet.

[anotherhomer]

Warriors makes sense for him. Don't think money works though.

make sense for giannis but not bucks

bucks most logical choice is okc

GSW could separate it into 2 deals.

1st 4 team trade: Giannis goes to GSW, Butler to Suns, Durant to Rockets, and pieces from the Rockets (Green & Jabari Smith Jr.?) to Bucks, plus Rockets send at least one of the Suns picks back to the Suns.
2nd trade: Bucks get Kuminga in S&T, Pods and picks from GSW, for Kuzma.

Bucks end up with Green, Jabari, Kuminga, Pods and GSW picks

GSW is not mortgaging the future for Giannis
Giannis won't stick around when Steph leaves and a team devoid of picks and youth

[Raps in 4]

I think we keep Barnes and move Poeltl - especially if our pick stays in the 4-7 range.

Jak/RJ/Gradey/2026 1st via Indy for Giannis.

Or

IQ/RJ/Gradey for Giannis/Connaughton (my preference)

PG (UFA eg. D’Angelo Russell, Tre Jones)/Shead
SG Ochai/Connaughton
SF Ingram /Walter/Battle
PF Scottie/Mogbo
C Giannis/Poeltl

+ top 10 pick, + #39 overall
+ Chomche, Lawson, Castleton

We don't have the Indy pick. Those offers would also get laughed out of the gym.

Yeah the deal starts with Scottie and then we have to add a ton more.

I can't seem them taking any deal without him.

The deal starts with Scottie AND our pick this year. Of course, we'd have to include more future picks as well.

[mademan]

Houston offers Sengun+9 to begin with, so any offer that retains Barnes and our lotto pick is just not realistic. Beating out Houston for Giannis is just not itself realistic. Theyre further ahead of us AND have more asssets...we cant compete

[ChaiSudle]

The wildcard in this debate is Giannis himself - he had a championship PG and then pushed his FO to go out and get Dame, who had never won anything. Hoop heads knew at the time that Jrue was a better PG, but Giannis wanted Dame. So Giannis might have some random, bad idea of where he thinks he can win. I'm in the skeptical camp though - I don't think Giannis makes sense for the Raptors because the price would be too high. I'd like to see the Raps keep their picks and keep growing, while keeping a medium term eye on SGA's availability in a few years.

SGA is never going to be available especially for Raptors with how the league operates now. Only way is if he hasn't won a ring by 33 (when his next contract expires).

“How the league operates now” - stars choose where they want to play, that’s how the league operates now. See Jimmy Butler for the most recent example. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, James Harden - all these guys forced trades and chose their destination. And guess what? SGA is from the GTA! There is every possibility that he could ask out of OKC - have you been to OKC?

[Scizzup]

The wildcard in this debate is Giannis himself - he had a championship PG and then pushed his FO to go out and get Dame, who had never won anything. Hoop heads knew at the time that Jrue was a better PG, but Giannis wanted Dame. So Giannis might have some random, bad idea of where he thinks he can win. I'm in the skeptical camp though - I don't think Giannis makes sense for the Raptors because the price would be too high. I'd like to see the Raps keep their picks and keep growing, while keeping a medium term eye on SGA's availability in a few years.

SGA is never going to be available especially for Raptors with how the league operates now. Only way is if he hasn't won a ring by 33 (when his next contract expires).

“How the league operates now” - stars choose where they want to play, that’s how the league operates now. See Jimmy Butler for the most recent example. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, James Harden - all these guys forced trades and chose their destination. And guess what? SGA is from the GTA! There is every possibility that he could ask out of OKC - have you been to OKC?

Yea, I have actually been to OKC. Those players forced their way out on teams that were either not good enough or did not want to pay them. Shai is not dealing with none of those issues. He is not leaving a team that will no brainer give him the max and gives him by far the best chance to compete.


Your reasoning makes no sense either because Toronto market does not offer him anything that OKC doesn't in the NBA world. This is the same silly **** New York fans thought about Mitchell. Stars are incentivized to stay on their teams now especially if that team is great and pays them. Jimmy would still be a Heat if he was paid, same with Harden in Philly.

[artsncrafts]

Barnes + for him is fine. Keep in mind they make about the same and Barnes is much worse at the same thing. Not sure what else we could give though. 8th or wherever we land? how many picks does it take? I probably dont do a trade that involves lots of picks, especially unprotected, but Barnes+ a pick and pieces is fine.

Edit. I guess he makes like $10M more than Scottie next year

[ciueli]

The wildcard in this debate is Giannis himself - he had a championship PG and then pushed his FO to go out and get Dame, who had never won anything. Hoop heads knew at the time that Jrue was a better PG, but Giannis wanted Dame. So Giannis might have some random, bad idea of where he thinks he can win. I'm in the skeptical camp though - I don't think Giannis makes sense for the Raptors because the price would be too high. I'd like to see the Raps keep their picks and keep growing, while keeping a medium term eye on SGA's availability in a few years.

SGA is never going to be available especially for Raptors with how the league operates now. Only way is if he hasn't won a ring by 33 (when his next contract expires).

“How the league operates now” - stars choose where they want to play, that’s how the league operates now. See Jimmy Butler for the most recent example. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, James Harden - all these guys forced trades and chose their destination. And guess what? SGA is from the GTA! There is every possibility that he could ask out of OKC - have you been to OKC?

Jimmy actually wanted to play in Phoenix for some reason but it didn’t happen because Phoenix had nothing to trade. And when Dame asked out he wanted to go to Miami and that didn’t happen either. So players don’t always get to go where they want to when they demand a trade, there’s still a strong component of who has the best trade package.

[brownbobcat]

This is never why you go all in and kill your future picks for 6 years

I mean, they traded a ton for Jrue and ended up with a ring.

[Tripod]

This is never why you go all in and kill your future picks for 6 years

I mean, they traded a ton for Jrue and ended up with a ring.

That's true.

But then I ask...why are so many people complaining about the Raps post Chip? We got our ring and lost Kawhi.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

We are the best trade partner to provide young star, plus a few good young players (pick of Walter, Shead, Dick, Battle Mogbo), plus the needed picks.

[sidsid]

We don't have the Indy pick. Those offers would also get laughed out of the gym.

Yeah the deal starts with Scottie and then we have to add a ton more.

I can't seem them taking any deal without him.

The deal starts with Scottie AND our pick this year. Of course, we'd have to include more future picks as well.

Giannis vetos any trade that includes Scottie, and probably even without. The only deal that could happen is winning the lottery (possibly 2nd pick too) and trading it along with Jak/RJ as the salary with it.

Everything else is fan fiction.

[CPT]

This is never why you go all in and kill your future picks for 6 years

I mean, they traded a ton for Jrue and ended up with a ring.

That's true.

But then I ask...why are so many people complaining about the Raps post Chip? We got our ring and lost Kawhi.

I've literally never seen a single person even suggest we shouldn't have done the Kawhi trade. People being disappointed that he left is a different issue.

The criticism of the Raps post chip is that they've made the wrong big picture decision at pretty much every point. Most if not all of the moves are defensible on pure value, but they've resulted in a team that is not exciting now or in the future.

[TGM]

The Bucks I doubt do a full gut and rebuild. Even though there are some teams with a lot of unprotected firsts. Teams will do whatever they can to prevent that PR disaster from happening. Therefore its a lot more likely that any rebuild for the Bucks will require a budding or budded all-star. Giannis is a top 5 player so in any trade they will ask another team for a top player. Trading Scottie in a deal makes a ton of sense if it means landing Giannis. For those that are trying RJ and IQ type deals are crazy.

Suitors for Giannis:

1. Spurs - Mainly draft capital as their core pieces will not get moved. So low probability.
2. Rockets - Makes a ton of sense, if they feel the time line fits. Rockets can do a package of Sengun, Whitmore, Sheppard and picks. Still leaves them with a ton to work with.
3. OKC - They have the pieces, but don't think they want to move either of Chet, SGA or Jalen. Their offer probably involves more Topic, Wallace and a ton of picks. I think moving Chet for Giannis makes a lot of sense to secure a solid 3-4 year championship window, but don't see them doing it. There is also a chance they win it all this year.
4.Cavs - I wouldn't count them out as they could do a consolidation trade - Bucks probably ask for Mobley in any deal, which would make them a championship contender, but things are going well for Cleveland, so not sure they are ready to move the DPOY this quickly.
5. Memphis - They need a quick rebuild. Moving JJJ, picks and some of their young guys is the type of all=in move now. Deal might come a little short, but it does seem like the right time for them to take this gamble.
6. Raptors - Scottie has to be in the deal and most likely IQ or RJ and one or two young guys like Dick, Mogbo and picks. Raps should definitely pursue this. Anytime you get a top 5 player you are a contending team. The depth we have is the luxury and most of all we have pieces that would allow a faster rebuild for the Bucks as well. Giannis has another good 5 years of ball in him, so you go for it. If it is Scottie, RJ, Dick and 4 picks Raps really need to consider it.

We would still have a line-up of:

IQ - Shead
Ochai - Walter - Lawson
Ingram - Battle
Giannis - Mogbo - Chomche
Jakob - Castleton -

Houston and Memphis are probably the two teams that make the most sense for any Giannis deal.