So…Giannis is Definitely Going to Demand a Trade Right?

[LikeABosh]

Their loyalty starts and ends with the team that drafts them. Anything after that is a pure business move that is motivated by winning. Bucks have proven they don't have what it takes to do that.

Bucks have won a title more recently than the Lakers but okay

and they shortly tore it all apart and have been mediocre ever since...

As have the Lakers. So why would Luka prefer the Lakers if the bigger market doesn't matter? You can't even get out of the 1st round with LeBron/Luka

Even with the help of Nico's goofy ass you couldn't put together a 2nd round team. Sounds like if the Bucks have proven they don't have what it takes then the Lakers have too

I mean I don't know how you can look at the 2022 Lakers roster and think "this organization knows what it takes to win". 90% of that roster was out of the league the next year

[mademan]

I think on Dec 15, Bucks can trade Giannis to the Knicks for OG/Dadiet/Yabusele/McBride/Backup C/couple FRPs.

They dont have a couple 1st round picks, lol. and OG, no real young talent and 1 1st is not even close. If you believe the Bucks will try and send Giannis to NY, it starts with KAT/one of OG/Bridges for Giannis/Kuz and then whatever picks/swaps the Knicks can give up over the next 7 years

[ForeverTFC]

ATL should be allowed over this. Either Trae or Johnson goes the other way and make sure to keep the Pels pick

Then he's not going to ATL....

Why? Trae or Johnson is a better asset than anything NYK has aside from Brunson

What about SA or Hou? They both have better assets and have a better team with Giannis.

[Shock Defeat]

If Milwaukee gifts Giannis to NY you know Silver has a kickback waiting. Milwaukee will win the #1 pick in the draft.

[tamaraw08]

I think it's pretty simple. If he says he wants to go to the Knicks, he's going to the Knicks. He's got that type of superstar cred around the league (obviously), but more importantly he's been integral to all things Bucks for 12 years and he brought them a championship, meaning they'll almost assuredly accommodate him. One way or another, it would get done, but maybe Giannis isn't as into the Knicks as reported or sees a better scenario out there for him. Will be incredibly interesting and I don't think this lasts more than a couple of weeks.

I'm not sure this happens all the time lately though.
Butler wanted to go to Phoenix. Lillard landed in Milwaukee. Luka was shocked he got traded to the Lakers.

[Kiss of Death]

Somebody on the radio just made a good point about the Spurs:

It doesn’t look like Wemby will have a very long career (typical of extremely tall guys like Yao/Sampson), so maybe the Spurs do go ‘win now’ mode with Giannis.

[Cavsfansince84]

I'm not sure this happens all the time lately though.
Butler wanted to go to Phoenix. Lillard landed in Milwaukee. Luka was shocked he got traded to the Lakers.

Generally speaking, mvp level guys who spend 8-10 years with a franchise and get them a ring are allowed to sort of decide where they go in a trade or at least narrow it down to 2-3 teams.

[Michael Bradley]

He's going to the Knicks. It's not even a question of which team can make better offers. Many can. It's about where Giannis wants to go, and where the league benefits the most. The Knicks in the Finals will benefit the league. This is the end game. We'll look back and say "how did the Knicks pull that off by only giving up KAT and whatever?" as if it was a decision made by a GM. This is Adam Silver's NBA, for better or worse.

It would have to be a massive gift for the Knicks to get Giannis. KAT, Bridges, and a late FRP or two isn't enough. Other teams can make better offers.

Spoiler: it will be a massive gift.

The Knicks have no high valued draft picks and none of their players should even interest a Bucks team looking to rebuild, but it will be Giannis and change for KAT, 1 of OG/Bridges, and maybe a nothing pick thrown in for optics. If I was a betting man, then I'd put money on that. This is Silver's NBA.

[Ayt]

Doesn’t matter where he wants to go, it’s what teams have the picks and players to trade for him. And that’s a short list of OKC, Spurs, and Rockets. Not sure what other team can realistically trade for him and keep their core together.

As an Utah fan I wouldn’t want to trade for him. And Utah is probably top 5ish of teams with good picks to trade. But Utah would have to trade Lauri and probably Ace or Keyonte to get him and be a terrible team and in the same situation as the Bucks are in right now. So it doesn’t even make sense.

So what other teams have salaries to match, at least one good young prospect to trade, and 4-5 FRP’s to trade AND can have a decent team after they make that trade? Not many teams come to mind.

Atlanta. Jalen Johnson and the NOP pick this year.

[MrIrrelevant]

They dont have a couple 1st round picks, lol. and OG, no real young talent and 1 1st is not even close. If you believe the Bucks will try and send Giannis to NY, it starts with KAT/one of OG/Bridges for Giannis/Kuz and then whatever picks/swaps the Knicks can give up over the next 7 years

The more I think about this, the more I think it'll be perceived as Luka trade 2.0. I think OG is going to be the star of the package, just like Oladipo was the star of the PG13 package. The Bucks have to do something and I think Giannis essentially forces his way to NY.

[web123888]

Bucks stink. Makes sense for Giannis to move on. Knicks or Pistons or Cavs would assure another Finals appearance at least.

[mademan]

They dont have a couple 1st round picks, lol. and OG, no real young talent and 1 1st is not even close. If you believe the Bucks will try and send Giannis to NY, it starts with KAT/one of OG/Bridges for Giannis/Kuz and then whatever picks/swaps the Knicks can give up over the next 7 years

The more I think about this, the more I think it'll be perceived as Luka trade 2.0. I think OG is going to be the star of the package, just like Oladipo was the star of the PG13 package. The Bucks have to do something and I think Giannis essentially forces his way to NY.

Thats just insane. At the very least, Dallas got a guy who was playing like a top 10 player year in/year out, but had some real availability issues. OG, at his best, is an overpaid role player, who also as availability issues. He has real on court value, but he's paid too much for his production, and he could never be the base of a Giannis deal. It would have to be him and Towns

To be clear, him and Towns with the lack of picks (1 1st and swaps?) is already a gift for the Knicks. OG alone is just insane

[mademan]

Doesn’t matter where he wants to go, it’s what teams have the picks and players to trade for him. And that’s a short list of OKC, Spurs, and Rockets. Not sure what other team can realistically trade for him and keep their core together.

As an Utah fan I wouldn’t want to trade for him. And Utah is probably top 5ish of teams with good picks to trade. But Utah would have to trade Lauri and probably Ace or Keyonte to get him and be a terrible team and in the same situation as the Bucks are in right now. So it doesn’t even make sense.

So what other teams have salaries to match, at least one good young prospect to trade, and 4-5 FRP’s to trade AND can have a decent team after they make that trade? Not many teams come to mind.

Atlanta. Jalen Johnson and the NOP pick this year.

I genuinely dont think ATL would trade either.

[Ayt]

Doesn’t matter where he wants to go, it’s what teams have the picks and players to trade for him. And that’s a short list of OKC, Spurs, and Rockets. Not sure what other team can realistically trade for him and keep their core together.

As an Utah fan I wouldn’t want to trade for him. And Utah is probably top 5ish of teams with good picks to trade. But Utah would have to trade Lauri and probably Ace or Keyonte to get him and be a terrible team and in the same situation as the Bucks are in right now. So it doesn’t even make sense.

Atlanta. Jalen Johnson and the NOP pick this year.

I genuinely dont think ATL would trade either.

IDK, that team with Giannis is a legit Finals team.

[Ayt]

How do you guys feel about players signing long-term contracts and forcing their way out to the destination they want with remaining years on their deal? Super-max stopped free agency movement for stars but they still get to have their cake and eat it too.

Giannis signed his deal 2 years ago. I'm a Bucks fan. He's given the team time to try to build around him, and it hasn't worked out.

[Dr Aki]

Give us the list Giannis!

[mademan]

Atlanta. Jalen Johnson and the NOP pick this year.

I genuinely dont think ATL would trade either.

IDK, that team with Giannis is a legit Finals team.

I dont think they wanna pay Trae and go all in with that team. There's like 5 finals contenders in the east right now, and, healthy, theyre one of them, AND they have a possible top 5 pick incoming with 2 chances to jump to 1 when Milwaukee falls apart. This is an unneeded risk for them.

It's the same issue i see with SAS. And its why i think he goes to NY or a surprise team like Detroit

[JustBuzzin]

Charlotte has some picks if Milwaukee has no interest in KAT.

Send KAT to Charlotte for some picks Bridges/Sexton for salary matching.

NY gets Giannis

Charlotte gets KAT

Milwaukee gets picks from Charlotte nice rebuild starter pack.

Everyone wins!

[Marvin Martian]

Then he's not going to ATL....

Why? Trae or Johnson is a better asset than anything NYK has aside from Brunson

What about SA or Hou? They both have better assets and have a better team with Giannis.

If they wanted him they could have gotten him in the offseason IMO. ATL has an emerging star in Johnson. They definitely couldn't pull a Giannis deal before but now they can

[shtolky]

I think it's pretty simple. If he says he wants to go to the Knicks, he's going to the Knicks. He's got that type of superstar cred around the league (obviously), but more importantly he's been integral to all things Bucks for 12 years and he brought them a championship, meaning they'll almost assuredly accommodate him. One way or another, it would get done, but maybe Giannis isn't as into the Knicks as reported or sees a better scenario out there for him. Will be incredibly interesting and I don't think this lasts more than a couple of weeks.

I'm not sure this happens all the time lately though.
Butler wanted to go to Phoenix. Lillard landed in Milwaukee. Luka was shocked he got traded to the Lakers.

Fair, but Butler and Lillard aren’t in the same league as Giannis. Luka didn’t request a trade either to a specific team and also hasn’t won a title. Giannis seems to be universally beloved in Milwaukee and I find it hard to believe they’ll not work with him. That’s not to say they’ll take Knicks scraps, but I think he ends up there if he says that’s where he wants to go. If anyone has “earned” that right, he has.