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

[mademan]

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I cant believe this. Amen might be off the table when the star is KD...no way he's off the table for freaking Giannis

[PushDaRock]

If Scottie asked out, then yes - I would trade him for RJ, IQ, Gradey, and two firsts. Yes, yes I would.

If Scottie was on the Bucks instead of Giannis, you would take that package for him? Two mid-tier guys locked up to $30m contracts long(-er) term, a role player prospect, and 2 1sts out of the lottery? And you're still committed to Kuzma and Lillard for the next few years? When you didn't control any of your own picks? I wouldn't. Lillard(hurt)/IQ/RJ/Dick/Kuzma is your locked in team now into 2026-27. hat's worse than treadmill, and you only have 2 picks in the 20s to look forward to? Yikes. I think you'd get fired for that once the team starts the season 3-12 getting blown out by 20 nightly because they can't play any defence.

I would also look to move Lillard and Kuzma. It would be the start of a full teardown.

Lillard is literally not tradeable.

Kuzma has negative value and would need assets attached.

[Scase]

Anyone who thinks Giannis is getable without moving Scottie, please pass that stuff over here lol.

[WuTang_OG]

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I cant believe this. Amen might be off the table when the star is KD...no way he's off the table for freaking Giannis

I think there's a lot of hesitation for these young teams on the rise to all of a sudden have the balls to give up their star young players and picks and completely shake up the team's future. From a methodical approach of calculated decisions in order to build a sustainable winning roster to all of a sudden boom - this is the window.. have to win now. We've seen KD switch teams like candy and just ask out - what's to say guys like Giannis (although he seems more loyal) would just say after a year, ya its not for me. They also have to be thinking what's left of our team and assets if we make this kind of costly deal.

All these teams will at least try in the beginning to have their cake and it too.

[ontnut]

If Scottie was on the Bucks instead of Giannis, you would take that package for him? Two mid-tier guys locked up to $30m contracts long(-er) term, a role player prospect, and 2 1sts out of the lottery? And you're still committed to Kuzma and Lillard for the next few years? When you didn't control any of your own picks? I wouldn't. Lillard(hurt)/IQ/RJ/Dick/Kuzma is your locked in team now into 2026-27. hat's worse than treadmill, and you only have 2 picks in the 20s to look forward to? Yikes. I think you'd get fired for that once the team starts the season 3-12 getting blown out by 20 nightly because they can't play any defence.

I would also look to move Lillard and Kuzma. It would be the start of a full teardown.

Lillard is literally not tradeable.

Kuzma has negative value and would need assets attached.

Yep. Lillard's out next year, then he's a 36 year old expiring (I'm assuming he takes his PO) in 26-27. Maybe the Bucks get lucky and get something back for him at the deadline if he can show he's healthy and productive. But just trading for his $58m contract will be hard enough salary wise, so what kind of assets can they really hope to return for a old mercenary? Maybe a single 1st round pick equivalent plus expiring salary? I don't know who'd pay more than that.

And yeah with Kuzma, I think the Bucks would need to attach him to any Giannis trade just to get him off their books. It's bad.

[LoveMyRaps]

Scottie + Poeltl/Barrett + Picks for Giannis makes sense.


Quickley
Ochai
Ingram
Giannis
Poeltl

That's a contender.

[Coco Costanza]

Scottie + Poeltl/Barrett + Picks for Giannis makes sense.


Quickley
Ochai
Ingram
Giannis
Poeltl

That's a contender.

What? No it isn't.

[mademan]

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?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

I cant believe this. Amen might be off the table when the star is KD...no way he's off the table for freaking Giannis

I think there's a lot of hesitation for these young teams on the rise to all of a sudden have the balls to give up their star young players and picks and completely shake up the team's future. From a methodical approach of calculated decisions in order to build a sustainable winning roster to all of a sudden boom - this is the window.. have to win now. We've seen KD switch teams like candy and just ask out - what's to say guys like Giannis (although he seems more loyal) would just say after a year, ya its not for me. They also have to be thinking what's left of our team and assets if we make this kind of costly deal.

All these teams will at least try in the beginning to have their cake and it too.

Giannis is perennial MVP candidate at 30 y/o and consensus top 3 player. Amen is a nice young player, but he's not exactly young Luka or a surefire future star. It would be insane to turn down a Giannis trade over his inclusion

[ontnut]

I cant believe this. Amen might be off the table when the star is KD...no way he's off the table for freaking Giannis

I think there's a lot of hesitation for these young teams on the rise to all of a sudden have the balls to give up their star young players and picks and completely shake up the team's future. From a methodical approach of calculated decisions in order to build a sustainable winning roster to all of a sudden boom - this is the window.. have to win now. We've seen KD switch teams like candy and just ask out - what's to say guys like Giannis (although he seems more loyal) would just say after a year, ya its not for me. They also have to be thinking what's left of our team and assets if we make this kind of costly deal.

All these teams will at least try in the beginning to have their cake and it too.

Giannis is perennial MVP candidate at 30 y/o and consensus top 3 player. Amen is a nice young player, but he's not exactly young Luka or a surefire future star. It would be insane to turn down a Giannis trade over his inclusion

I don't put any stock into team reports any guy is untradeable. It just means they're highly unwilling to put him in as part of a trade and value him highly. Don't dare tell me for a second they don't pack his house up and ship him to the airport if OKC comes offering Shai, or DEN comes offering Jokic lol. Same for Giannis. I don't believe that, not for a SECOOOONDDDD.

[NotMyKawhi]

Trading for Giannis is hard bc they dont have their picks. Youll be worse no matter what you get for Giannis.

Trading Giannis to get your own picks back would look bad.

[LoveMyRaps]

Scottie + Poeltl/Barrett + Picks for Giannis makes sense.


Quickley
Ochai
Ingram
Giannis
Poeltl

That's a contender.

What? No it isn't.

Yes it is sir.

That's a well balanced lineup. Dangerous on all fronts.

From a talent standpoint - our top 5 players are right there w/ the Cavs top 5. But their bench is better. Hopefully our young guys can develop into valuable role players.

[NotMyKawhi]

All comes down to if we win the lottery. The #2 pick might have more value than any player on our team.

[WuTang_OG]

I cant believe this. Amen might be off the table when the star is KD...no way he's off the table for freaking Giannis

I think there's a lot of hesitation for these young teams on the rise to all of a sudden have the balls to give up their star young players and picks and completely shake up the team's future. From a methodical approach of calculated decisions in order to build a sustainable winning roster to all of a sudden boom - this is the window.. have to win now. We've seen KD switch teams like candy and just ask out - what's to say guys like Giannis (although he seems more loyal) would just say after a year, ya its not for me. They also have to be thinking what's left of our team and assets if we make this kind of costly deal.

All these teams will at least try in the beginning to have their cake and it too.

Giannis is perennial MVP candidate at 30 y/o and consensus top 3 player. Amen is a nice young player, but he's not exactly young Luka or a surefire future star. It would be insane to turn down a Giannis trade over his inclusion

That's the hesitancy for deals like this. You gotta really feel confident you can win in that window. With Houston, they just had a terrific season with the first time of making the playoffs. Have to see how patient they are. If Amen or Scottie are not on the table I wouldn't even be taking these calls.

[Jerry Lucas]

If Amen is off the table and Presti chooses not to pursue Giannis then Masai is going to do everything to not include scottie barnes in a deal. Horst shouldn’t even pick up the phone if thats the case.

But if Toronto gets say the #2 pick for dylan harper that would be enticing along with all future draft capital and few other young players.

IMO similarly to Flagg on a full rookie scale, I think the Raptors would offer Scottie for Giannis before they offer Dylan Harper on a full rookie scale for Giannis.

If the pick lands 3 or lower though, yeah they'll probably offer the pick before Scottie.

[CazOnReal]

Scottie + Poeltl/Barrett + Picks for Giannis makes sense.


Quickley
Ochai
Ingram
Giannis
Poeltl

That's a contender.

No it is not.

Yes it is sir.

That's a well balanced lineup. Dangerous on all fronts.

From a talent standpoint - our top 5 players are right there w/ the Cavs top 5. But their bench is better. Hopefully our young guys can develop into valuable role players.

Delusion is a hell of a drug. You aren't keeping those young bench guys in a Giannis trade.

[HangTime]

Just like the KD trade talks, I wouldn't trade Scottie.

If that means no Giannis, then it's no Giannis.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Scottie + Poeltl/Barrett + Picks for Giannis makes sense.


Quickley
Ochai
Ingram
Giannis
Poeltl

That's a contender.

What? No it isn't.

Sure it is - Giannis is a top 3 player, BI is a great second option, quickly a solid third. Top ten center in Yak, and solid 3&D to balance the lineup

Bench of Ja'Kobe, Boucher, Shead, Battle, Dick and whatever vet they would pick up in this scenario.

[WuTang_OG]

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Out of all the possible teams Giannis could be traded to, the San Antonio Spurs would be the most intriguing. After trading for All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox this past season, the Spurs have signaled to the rest of the league that they are preparing to create a roster around Victor Wembanyama that can contend immediately.

Could that mean Antetokounmpo is the missing piece?

Just think about Fox playing in the pick-and-roll with both Giannis and Wemby, as well as that two-way frontcourt duo annihilating opposing teams on both sides of the floor. Teams can't stop these two big men alone, so if the Spurs were able to pull off a trade with the Bucks, they would be creating arguably one of the best duos in league history.

The Spurs have Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan as young talents who could be leveraged in a trade, as well as a ton of first-round picks. San Antonio will own two lottery picks in this year's draft. To remain relevant, perhaps the Bucks could get the Phoenix Suns involved since they want to offload Bradley Beal.

Could we see a potential multi-team trade where Giannis is moved to San Antonio, Beal goes to Milwaukee, and versatile forwards like Harrison Barnes or Johnson go to Phoenix?

If Giannis requests a trade and wants to team up with Wembanyama and Fox, all the Spurs need to do is find shooting to put around their All-Stars. This could instantly make San Antonio a title-contending threat once again.



Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are the team that has come up the most in connection with Antetokounmpo. While rumors exist that the Bucks star would want to play in New York if given the opportunity, the real attraction to a team like the Nets is a fresh start with a big-market team that has proven they will find winning talent to surround their stars with.

That was the case when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were in Brooklyn, and that would once again be GM Sean Marks' goal if he were to bring Giannis to the Nets.

What would really make the Nets' pursuit of Giannis or another star the best it could be is if they won the first-overall pick via the NBA Draft Lottery and could select Cooper Flagg. The idea of pairing Flagg with a player like Giannis and an electric scorer like Cam Thomas generates a lot of intrigue to believe in Brooklyn's ability to contend in the East.

The only reason Giannis would want to go to the Nets is if he truly has wanting to play for a big-market team like New York at the top of his list. Other than that, leaving the Bucks to go to Brooklyn would be a momentary downgrade for the two-time MVP who wants to win right now.



Miami Heat

The chances of Giannis jumping ship in Milwaukee to join a Miami Heat team he has battled with as a rival for years are slim to none. Even so, the Heat are still worth mentioning as a top suitor for Antetokounmpo and virtually any other star player who becomes available because this team needs help.

After being embarrassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series and after all the drama the Heat dealt with regarding Jimmy Butler's situation, Pat Riley is ready to take his team in a different direction. A solid foundation with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo exists, but the Heat clearly need an alpha on their roster to go along with these two All-Star talents.

Giannis would fit perfectly with what Miami needs given his size, two-way abilities, and championship mindset. Herro is a great scorer and shooter who could play off Antetokounmpo, and Bam has proven to be able to create opportunities for others with the ball in his hands. That would take a lot of pressure off Giannis to have to do everything, which has been responsible for in Milwaukee.

The only problem with the Heat is that they lack trade assets. Andrew Wiggins is a player the Heat will likely leverage in any trade discussions, but his value has declined drastically since being traded by the Golden State Warriors. It is hard to imagine a package of Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier, and any of the Heat's young talents would be enough to convince the Bucks.

Riley does have access to all of his team's first-round selections from 2028 through 2032 entering the offseason, so expect the Heat to be creative with their search for a true superstar.




Houston Rockets
Like the Nets, the Houston Rockets have also been mentioned periodically as a possible landing spot for Giannis if he were to leave the Bucks.

Ime Udoka has rapidly turned the Rockets into one of the league's better defensive teams that tends to play fast on offense and in transition due to their athleticism. If that doesn't fit the type of team Giannis would thrive on, I don't know what does. The Rockets have a ton of assets that they could offer up in a potential offseason trade, along with several valuable draft picks.

In addition to owning almost all of their own picks from 2027 through 2032, the Rockets own the Phoenix Suns' picks in 2025, 2027, and the rights to swap with Phoenix in 2029.

By attaching a handful of these draft picks with young assets like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, and/or Cam Whitmore, the Rockets can put themselves at the front of the line for any superstar talent that becomes available. When looking at the opportunity to win and his fit with a potential new team, the Rockets make the most sense as a suitor for Giannis this offseason.



Longshots to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the third quarter at
There are a few teams that will be brought up in connection with Giannis if he were to hit the trade block because of the big markets they reside in. Those teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

All three organizations would obviously be interested in adding Antetokounmpo, but whether such a move would be feasible for them is the question at large.

The Lakers pulled off one of the league's most stunning moves ever when they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic at the trade deadline. Now that Doncic is in Los Angeles, there is a clear championship vision for this organization long after LeBron James is ready to retire. If this was NBA 2K, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers would trade for Giannis in a heartbeat to pair him with Luka and LeBron.

However, the Lakers' financial situation is complicated, regardless if James restructures his contract by opting out. Los Angeles also has access to only a couple first-round picks in trade talks. Essentially, the Lakers' package would consist of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Gabe Vincent.

That won't get the job done for Giannis compared to what other teams could offer, and it would leave the Lakers without any bench.

In the Clippers' case, a deal for Antetokounmpo would result in needing to part ways with Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, and Bogdan Bogdanovic — who the Bucks tried to acquire in 2020 before the Serbian decided he didn't want to go to Milwaukee. Los Angeles also can't offer an outright first-round pick until 2023. This is an even worse situation in terms of a potential package than the Lakers.

At this point, the 76ers are will do anything possible to contend for an immediate title with Joel Embiid. Philadelphia thought that Paul George would be the answer, but this season was a complete disaster. If there were a path to the Sixers turning George and other assets into Giannis, Daryl Morey would be elated.

The chances of this happening are essentially zero, as the Bucks certainly would not want to bring in George to replace Giannis, and the best young talent the Sixers could offer is Jared McCain.

As much as the Lakers, Clippers, and 76ers would want to get involved for Giannis, they simply lack the assets to potentially pull off a trade.



Keep an eye on the Timberwolves, Warriors, Thunder for Giannis
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) meet after the game at the Chase Center.
Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
There are three dark horse teams existing as possible suitors for Giannis should he decide to request a trade in the offseason.

The Golden State Warriors are first on the list — a team that has long pursued Antetokounmpo and has checked in on virtually every offseason. Even before finalizing a deal for Jimmy Butler this season, the Dubs checked in with the Bucks about their future with Giannis.

It is no secret to anyone around the league that Joe Lacob and the Warriors' brass would love to pair Giannis with Stephen Curry, as the two have made it known they share a strong mutual respect for one another.

Before trading for Butler, Golden State was at the front of the line for a potential Antetokounmpo trade. After acquiring Butler and seeing the positive impact he's made, there is no chance that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and this front office are going to flip him for another star. Butler has been everything the Warriors have wanted next to Steph, and this team remains in a title-contending position.

The only way that Golden State could possibly be in the mix for Giannis without giving up Steph or Jimmy is if they did a sign-and-trade of Jonathan Kuminga in a package that also includes Draymond Green, Moses Moody, and a player like Trayce Jackson-Davis. While this trade would technically work financially, it would leave the Warriors with basically three stars and limited funds to fill out the rest of their roster.

As much as the Warriors would want Giannis, the chances of him moving to San Francisco have declined drastically since Butler's arrival.

Two other dark horse teams are the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. These are two younger organizations that have solidified themselves as real threats in the Western Conference who find themselves in differing positions about how they could get a trade done.

Sam Presti and the Thunder can make any trade they want at any time due to all of the draft picks they own. Oklahoma City basically has two or three first-round picks every year, some of which are lottery selections, which instantly creates an attractive trade package. The Thunder also have young players like Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Nikola Topic.

If the Thunder wanted to throw eight or more first-round picks at the Bucks to acquire Giannis, they could do so and outbid any other team around the league. However, after winning 68 games with the youngest team in the league, it's unlikely that Oklahoma City will look to shake up its roster in the summer.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand, will likely see some drastic changes. Although new ownership has signaled that money will be of no value in terms of building a championship-contending roster, Minnesota has been a second-apron team. If they are to keep Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Wolves would once again have one of the highest payrolls in the league.

Trading for Giannis would not be a move to cut salaries by any means, but establishing a superstar duo of Anthony Edwards and Antetokounmpo creates a path to move off Rudy Gobert's long-term contract. But the problem with Minnesota's pursuit of a star like Giannis, Kevin Durant, or any other player is that their first-round picks are locked up.

When it comes to big trades potentially occurring in the offseason, especially regarding Giannis, expect to see the Warriors, Thunder, and Timberwolves loom large as dark horses.

[Landomar]

I imagine our best offer would be something like Barnes, Barrett, Dick, and 3 1st round picks for Giannis and Portis. This is if Portis picks up his player option, otherwise would have to rework the offer a bit.

Quickley / Shead
Agbaji / Walter
Ingram / Battle
Giannis / Mogbo
Poeltl / Portis

That's a top 4 team in the East if healthy, but we'd need a huge season out of Brandon Ingram to make a serious run at the title, and Giannis only has two seasons left on his contract. It would definitely be a risk to cash in so many assets right now, given where we are in terms of our roster, but it would be a fun risk.

[TakeYourHeart]

We didn't just sign Brandon Ingram to goof around for the next 2 years and then he walks in 2028.

Aligning your top talent is the hardest part of building a contender. We spent years treading water with Pascal hoping for an opportunity to add a surefire #1 option that never came and we had to blow it up.

There is an opportunity here to pair Giannis, an undeniable #1 option, with Ingram, a likely #2 option, together for 2 whole years. And people wouldn't want to do it because what...the 4th guy might not be good enough? There is time for Bobby and Masai to figure the rest out, and they are not Matt Ishbia.The hard part would be done. #1 and #2 option acquired and locked up for 2 years.

The stars may not align like this again for the next 30 years.