What if Giannis chooses and Toronto on short list - Does this change Conversation?

[ropjhk]

Unless the Spurs are off his list then it probably won't matter if Toronto is on it. The Spurs can make the best offer for Giannis.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

We're debating a lot on this "what if" he chooses Toronto question, but going beyond the hypothetical, what has Giannis actually said? Well... we have two instances to draw from:

(1) When asked on X (Twitter) yesterday what is his favorite city to play? His direct response was: New York.

Read on Twitter

(2) When asked by Serge Ibaka a few years back, "true or false, one day Giannis will play for the Toronto Raptors"? He responded with the preface "I'm authentic and I'm a man of my word" and then he said: "Let's go with False, let's go with false, yes".

Watch on YouTube

Giannis has also said repeatedly in interviews: "I want to win another Championship." If this is still the goal, then there are better teams he can go to for a better chance to achieve this goal (i.e., not Toronto).

So, ultimately, what is the chance that Giannis joins the Raptors? To quote a famous line from Giannis' favorite city, New York: Fuhgeddaboudit!

Yep, the way this league is going, it will be a straight up swap of Giannis for Towns

Giannis could never say true in this situation, that would be unprecedented and would have undermined his team.

[JB7]

We're debating a lot on this "what if" he chooses Toronto question, but going beyond the hypothetical, what has Giannis actually said? Well... we have two instances to draw from:

(1) When asked on X (Twitter) yesterday what is his favorite city to play? His direct response was: New York.

Read on Twitter

(2) When asked by Serge Ibaka a few years back, "true or false, one day Giannis will play for the Toronto Raptors"? He responded with the preface "I'm authentic and I'm a man of my word" and then he said: "Let's go with False, let's go with false, yes".

Watch on YouTube

Giannis has also said repeatedly in interviews: "I want to win another Championship." If this is still the goal, then there are better teams he can go to for a better chance to achieve this goal (i.e., not Toronto).

So, ultimately, what is the chance that Giannis joins the Raptors? To quote a famous line from Giannis' favorite city, New York: Fuhgeddaboudit!

Yep, the way this league is going, it will be a straight up swap of Giannis for Towns

Giannis could never say true in this situation, that would be unprecedented and would have undermined his team.

I guess it would all depend on how much he cares about making the Bucks whole, versus how much he would want the team he is targeting to be a contender from day 1. If he really wants to go to the Knicks, I can't imagine he would want OG and Bridges going the other way.

[Syd-TK3]

The trade will never happen because the only picks we have available to trade are our own

[The Warrior]

We're debating a lot on this "what if" he chooses Toronto question, but going beyond the hypothetical, what has Giannis actually said? Well... we have two instances to draw from:

(1) When asked on X (Twitter) yesterday what is his favorite city to play? His direct response was: New York.

Read on Twitter

(2) When asked by Serge Ibaka a few years back, "true or false, one day Giannis will play for the Toronto Raptors"? He responded with the preface "I'm authentic and I'm a man of my word" and then he said: "Let's go with False, let's go with false, yes".

Watch on YouTube

Giannis has also said repeatedly in interviews: "I want to win another Championship." If this is still the goal, then there are better teams he can go to for a better chance to achieve this goal (i.e., not Toronto).

So, ultimately, what is the chance that Giannis joins the Raptors? To quote a famous line from Giannis' favorite city, New York: Fuhgeddaboudit!

So what? Half the NBA says Toronto when they're asked about their favorite road city. As for your second point, what do you expect him to say? Yes???

[Potential]

didn't the Bucks deny a Giannis for Luka trade?

[Scase]

What if Giannis secretly kidnaps the Bucks GM in order to fulfill his childhood oath to his dying father to play for the Raptors? Sounds unlikely, but hey, it wasn’t supposed to rain the other day but did! Therefore I think this is almost a certainty!

Sir I'm going to need you to tone down your negativity. They are going to trade him to us for Gradey and a couple of our "highly touted" players picked in the second round. Masai is a genius, get on the trolley.

[dohboy_24]

Due to the draft picks and draft pick swaps Milwaukee owes to Atlanta, New Orleans, and Portland, any Giannis trade will have to include one or more of them as part of the deal.



Otherwise, the Bucks aren't going to be able to truly bottom-out and put themselves in a position to draft a top lottery pick during the next few drafts unless they get lucky like the Hawks, Spurs, and Mavericks have the past few years.

[OakleyDokely]

I think it's more likely he leaves as FA in a couple seasons then him being traded at all.

Masai is going to go after KD again.

[dohboy_24]

The other stumbling block to any Giannis trade is Dame.

If you trade Giannis without trading him in the same deal or as part of a separate one, you're stuck with a 34 year old PG who just tore his Achilles tendon and if you're trading Dame with Giannis - the team you're negotiating with needs to have $100 million in contracts to send back to the Bucks.

[MiamiSPX]

I think it's more likely he leaves as FA in a couple seasons then him being traded at all.

Masai is going to go after KD again.

That is a more realistic target and won't require Barnes going the other way (who KD has been very complimentary of in the past). I could see KD agreeing to Toronto more than I can see it with Giannis tbh.

[OakleyDokely]

I think it's more likely he leaves as FA in a couple seasons then him being traded at all.

Masai is going to go after KD again.

That is a more realistic target and won't require Barnes going the other way (who KD has been very complimentary of in the past). I could see KD agreeing to Toronto more than I can see it with Giannis tbh.

I just want to see Barnes, Ingram, KD all out there. Maybe it doesn't work and we fail like PHX, but I'd like to try it out.

Because Barnes prefers to create for others over looking for his own shot, I think it's crazy enough to work.

[MiamiSPX]

I think it's more likely he leaves as FA in a couple seasons then him being traded at all.

Masai is going to go after KD again.

That is a more realistic target and won't require Barnes going the other way (who KD has been very complimentary of in the past). I could see KD agreeing to Toronto more than I can see it with Giannis tbh.

I just want to see Barnes, Ingram, KD all out there. Maybe it doesn't work and we fail like PHX, but I'd like to try it out.

Because Barnes prefers to create for others over looking for his own shot, I think it's crazy enough to work.

I'm down with that. I had floated the idea of RJ and IQ for KD had we moved up to 1st or 2nd in the lottery. Now that seems a little heavy because our draftee won't be in the starting lineup from the get-go. I don't know what offer would work. I saw Ishbia's season ending presser and he isn't going to care about draft picks anytime soon.

[OakleyDokely]

That is a more realistic target and won't require Barnes going the other way (who KD has been very complimentary of in the past). I could see KD agreeing to Toronto more than I can see it with Giannis tbh.

I just want to see Barnes, Ingram, KD all out there. Maybe it doesn't work and we fail like PHX, but I'd like to try it out.

Because Barnes prefers to create for others over looking for his own shot, I think it's crazy enough to work.

I'm down with that. I had floated the idea of RJ and IQ for KD had we moved up to 1st or 2nd in the lottery. Now that seems a little heavy because our draftee won't be in the starting lineup from the get-go. I don't know what offer would work. I saw Ishbia's season ending presser and he isn't going to care about draft picks anytime soon.

IQ/RJ/#39 plus a future pick probably makes the most sense financially and value wise.

Poeltl
KD
Ingram
Barnes

For the last starter spot, you just play the best guard defender who can knock down some open shots. Maybe Walter?

[MiamiSPX]

I just want to see Barnes, Ingram, KD all out there. Maybe it doesn't work and we fail like PHX, but I'd like to try it out.

Because Barnes prefers to create for others over looking for his own shot, I think it's crazy enough to work.

I'm down with that. I had floated the idea of RJ and IQ for KD had we moved up to 1st or 2nd in the lottery. Now that seems a little heavy because our draftee won't be in the starting lineup from the get-go. I don't know what offer would work. I saw Ishbia's season ending presser and he isn't going to care about draft picks anytime soon.

IQ/RJ/#39 plus a future pick probably makes the most sense financially and value wise.

Poeltl
KD
Ingram
Barnes

For the last starter spot, you just play the best guard defender who can knock down some open shots. Maybe Walter?

Yeah, I make that trade.

[OakleyDokely]

I'm down with that. I had floated the idea of RJ and IQ for KD had we moved up to 1st or 2nd in the lottery. Now that seems a little heavy because our draftee won't be in the starting lineup from the get-go. I don't know what offer would work. I saw Ishbia's season ending presser and he isn't going to care about draft picks anytime soon.

IQ/RJ/#39 plus a future pick probably makes the most sense financially and value wise.

Poeltl
KD
Ingram
Barnes

For the last starter spot, you just play the best guard defender who can knock down some open shots. Maybe Walter?

Yeah, I make that trade.

They probably would want #9 included though.

[Jerry Lucas]

I just want to see Barnes, Ingram, KD all out there. Maybe it doesn't work and we fail like PHX, but I'd like to try it out.

Because Barnes prefers to create for others over looking for his own shot, I think it's crazy enough to work.

I'm down with that. I had floated the idea of RJ and IQ for KD had we moved up to 1st or 2nd in the lottery. Now that seems a little heavy because our draftee won't be in the starting lineup from the get-go. I don't know what offer would work. I saw Ishbia's season ending presser and he isn't going to care about draft picks anytime soon.

IQ/RJ/#39 plus a future pick probably makes the most sense financially and value wise.

Poeltl
KD
Ingram
Barnes

For the last starter spot, you just play the best guard defender who can knock down some open shots. Maybe Walter?

The Suns would also have to include another salary in the trade to get under the 2nd apron (assuming they cut all 3 of Cody Martin, Nick Richards, and Vasilije Micic before their guarantee deadlines). Otherwise the trade doesn't work.

[dohboy_24]

Trading for KD presents the same issues as Giannis because the Suns don't have control over all of their picks the next few years.

Unless a 3rd or 4th team is added to the deal to send those picks back to Phoenix, the Suns and Raptors don't make very good trade partners.

[Pointgod]

Trading for KD presents the same issues as Giannis because the Suns don't have control over all of their picks the next few years.

Unless a 3rd or 4th team is added to the deal to send those picks back to Phoenix, the Suns and Raptors don't make very good trade partners.

KD is a little different because theoretically the Suns don’t have to rebuild if they trade him. The Bucks almost have zero option but to rebuild because of Dame’s injury and the lack of talent on the roster without Giannis

[ash_k]

So folks want
KD
BI
Barnes
Yak
Thus not having to give up years of draft picks which we cannot really afford, without giving up Scottie.
IQ+RJ+39 (had we not screwed up IQ's value, that package could've been enough for a 36y old)
Risky trade with BI and KD most likely missing at least 15 games each , but on paper it is scary fully implementing (finally) long-boi lineup. I would expect a championship, BI is a bad boy.