raferfenix wrote:har13 wrote:"With the first one, Giannis, had acquired a personal relationship since the night of the draft (he was selected at No. 2 in 2013 by the Orlando Magic) and they are connected by their common roots from Nigeria, which is the country where their parents were born. With the second, Antetokunbo had nothing more than their acquaintance on the NBA floor as opponents. However, he particularly appreciated the personality he brought out on the field and the combination of his huge defensive appeal with his offensive duties."
"In complete secrecy, then, the leader of the Bucks called Olandipo and invited him at his own expense for a while in Athens, to train together and discuss closely the possibility of playing as teammates in Milwaukee. The two players, along with the other Antetokunbo brothers, trained for about a week (in early November) at SEF, under the guidance of the team's coaches who are in Greece with Giannis and the 28-year-old Pacers guard left for the United States for the first time. day of the lock-down (07/11)."
Appreciate the news from Greece!
Oladipo flying to Athens to train with Giannis makes it seem like the Bucks were plenty serious.
Pacers reportedly said no to Donte + #24 + Hill, which already seems like a lot considering Dipo's health issues.
If we would have needed to include more first round picks that would have been that much more disconcerting.
We had to trade a boat load of picks for Holiday of course, but at least we know his body hasn't already fallen apart.
Yeah, I get it from Indiana's perspective though, and ultimately, that's why I think it's unlikely Oladipo is traded unless it's closer to the deadline. Coming off multiple injury-riddled seasons, in which he's played relatively poorly when he's been available, Oladipo's trade value is at an all-time low.
Unless Oladipo makes life a living hell for them, there's no real point in them trading him now as teams are trying to get him for pennies on the dollar. They're better off waiting and seeing if he can rebuild his trade value with a strong start to the regular season than trading him for a middling asset or two now.
It's entirely possible that they ultimately accept an offer similar to the one we had this offseason, but they at least want to see if he can improve his trade value first and that's probably the right thing for them to do.
For me at least, this article is enough to keep Oladipo on the radar for a mid-season trade or even potentially a sign-and-trade in the offseason if we have Giannis locked up already by then.
