Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become open-minded about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee for the first time in his career, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
Teams have routinely called to check on Antetokounmpo’s potential availability in recent years, and that process is expected to intensify as they gather in Chicago this week for the draft combine, Charania adds.
Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, will meet with Bucks officials at some point to discuss the team’s future and determine whether Milwaukee is still the best fit for their client, according to Charania’s sources. The Bucks are reportedly resistant toward the idea of trading Antetokounmpo, who is still under contract through the 2026/27 season and holds a $62.8MM player option for the following year, and are unlikely to pursue a deal unless he requests it.
Speculation about a possible Antetokounmpo trade has been rampant since the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers last month, marking the third straight year they have been ousted in the first round. Antetokounmpo has been open about his desire to add another championship to the one he captured in 2021, and there are doubts regarding whether he still has any hope of achieving that in Milwaukee.
The situation became more dire with the torn left Achilles that Damian Lillard suffered in Game 4 of the Indiana series. Lillard underwent surgery last week and faces a lengthy rehab process that could force him to miss all of next season. That would leave the Bucks without a second star to team with Antetokounmpo and little chance to acquire one as Lillard remains on the books for $54.1MM next season with a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27.
Charania notes that Antetokounmpo, a finalist for MVP honors, just completed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games while shooting 60.1% from the field. He raised those numbers in the playoffs, posting 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per night in the five-game loss.
Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the greatest players in Bucks history since being selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. He’s a two-time MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he delivered the team’s first NBA title in 50 years.
According to Charania, Milwaukee’s .663 winning percentage since 2018/19 is the best in the league. However, the Bucks only have one playoff series victory since their 2021 championship season.
If Antetokounmpo goes on the market, teams that can offer young talent and a stockpile of draft assets are considered to be the most likely destinations. The Rockets, Spurs, Thunder and Nets have already been mentioned prominently in trade speculation, but Milwaukee’s front office would likely hear offers from all 29 rival teams.
Charania notes that the Bucks have an opportunity to remake their roster this summer, with Kyle Kuzma, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith joining Antetokounmpo and Lillard as the only players currently under contract. Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. hold player options for next season, and they could decide to join Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. as free agents.
However, the Bucks are already facing cap concerns as Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will earn roughly $130MM of the $164MM they already have committed for 2025/26. General manager Jon Horst has limited draft assets to offer in any trade, with the franchise not controlling any of its first-round picks until 2031.
Charania notes that the Bucks were able to escape the second apron with the Kuzma trade in February, but they still have limited breathing room heading into the summer. They’re currently about $23MM below the luxury tax and $41MM away from a return to the second apron for next season.
Charania points out that even a modest offseason that includes re-signing Lopez, using the $14.1MM non-taxpayer midlevel exception and filling out the roster with minimum-salary signees would put Milwaukee into tax territory for the sixth straight year.
Entirely league-driven narrative. All to hopefully encourage Milwaukee to send a top 5 player to a place he can b3 heavily marketed. And the media is enlisted in th3 effort. What a disgusting league.
How is it league driven? They drafted poorly, traded for Kuzma, and Dame got a massive injury while on a massive contract. Writings on the wall with MIL and there is probably not a single path that leads to a title with Giannis on that roster ever again. So seems entirely fair after he was a good soldier for so long to let him play the rest of his prime on a team with a chance…
They had only 2 first round picks since 2019 and only whiffed on one of them, who they traded for their likely starting PG next fall and an important playoff contributor, so not that poor.
The path that leads Milwaukee back to title contention this summer starts with them trading their 2031 and 2032 firsts, using their $7m trade exception this summer, and their full MLE.
They have traded picks on draft day and aimed for players that havent worked.
They have pretty much made nothing but bad trades since the title. I am including the Dame deal in that.
The team isnt allowed to trade 2 consecutive picks so they cant do that. They also are way too far into the tax to be allowed a full MLE if they resign any FA which you would need to do if you keep Giannis.
So with no ability to trade more than the 1 first, that becomes trade eligible this summer, they are looking at no assets, and only min signings. You also cant use TPE if your in the tax. Looking at BOS/IND/CLE how in the f*** do you get anywhere close to them with this roster, and Dames salary sitting on the bench all year? This looks like a lottery team WITH Giannis and I would bet you any amount of money MIL misses the playoffs next year with or without Giannis.
Wrong. You can use the TPE if you’re a taxpayer. It hard caps you at the first apron. The Bucks are $28m under the first apron this summer and will be even more if Portis opts out or they don’t guarantee some young guys.
Stupid to call the Dame deal bad. They got him for Holiday, 2 swaps, and a first. Holiday wasn’t helping them repeat.
Obviously they can’t trade consecutive picks, one would have to be a swap. That goes without saying. In 2031 and 2032 Giannis will be 36–37 if he’s still even around, so we’re talking two top 5 picks. The best two picks available this summer.
But if you wanna bet your life savings they’ll miss the playoffs with Giannis, I’ll take that lmao. He’s a top 3 player, those teams don’t miss when they’re healthy.
Your Bucks hate is showing.
You absolutely can not use any exceptions if your in the second apron. They would have already gotten themselves over the first resigning Lopez/Portis who will opt out/KPJ/Trent, and Connaughton will opt in because hes bad now.
So maybe maybe you get the TPMLE and a small TPE that wont even get you an MLE player. Like name me one player making 7M, that isnt on a rookie deal where they arent available, who helps this team?
Dame cost them all their assets, destroyed their defense since you cant drop Brooks without top perimeter defenders, and put Jrue Holliday on one of their biggest competitors as the finishing piece of a title team. How could it have gone any worse? Would be the better question. I love Dame too, he was born in the same hospital I was, but bad trade. Much worse now with him making 57M on a bad ankle while not playing another BBall game until fall 26.
You cant call picks top 5 when you do the top 4 with a lottery man. Every asset isnt going to be valued at the most it could possibly reach.
Giannis cannot clone himself and play 5 positions. What else, with no Dame for the whole season, would make you think this team could even come close to the playoffs? Take away the best player on every team, and the 25-26 Bucks are the worst team in the NBA, and its not even close. Without Giannis they are cooked. I dont think one player can win you 41 games with no help. You might hurt him trying though.
I like the Bucks man. Giannis is fun, and they were a great playoff watch from 18-23′, but this team is now F***’d. It is better for the Bucks long term if they realize they are in a no win situation and start the rebuild before all their assets devalue worse. The thing is I dont think they could or should trade Giannis unless he asks since he is homegrown. So this really does them a favor since they need to rebuild, and cant without him triggering it.
I said the FIRST apron. The Bucks will not be a second apron team starting July 1. They aren’t even a second apron team now. They can use $3m of that exception today if they wanted to. Kris Dunn would be huge for Milwaukee and makes under $6m.
KPJ and Trent have to be signed with the MLE because they don’t have Bird rights.
Again, they have very good assets in the 2031 and 2032 picks, I don’t know why you choose not to see that. But fine, you can call them top 4 if you want. The point is that the Bucks are going to be terrible in 2031 and 2032 because Giannis will be old, so those picks will have the highest lottery odds. And those picks can’t slip below 5 if you have the worst record in the league. Even if you’re 5th worst team in the league it is unlikely to drop below 6.
AJ Green is a good young prospect. Those picks, Green, and salary could get them a star who wants out of their situation. Like that would be plenty for KD, not that they should do it.
How could it have gone any worse? Another year of terrible postseason offense in 2024, a year after Jrue Holiday, who has horrendous efficiency and offensive numbers in the playoffs, was completely cooked by Jimmy Butler.
They are absolutely not f***ed. That’s a national narrative to get Giannis out of Milwaukee. Look at what they have and it’s way better than what you’re being told. Watch it work when they swing a trade that makes Giannis feel good about staying.
They will have cap holds on most of their players and no appreciable room to work with unless they let players that are still useful for them walk with no plan for replacements. 3M is a vet min. They have no path to significant cap space.
They have early bird and will probably offer the max to keep them since again they cant replace them on the FA market. I dont know where the market will settle for those two.
Swaps arent worth what a pick is, and they can only trade one. Also teams tend to not value the really far out ones as high since the exec that acquires it probably wont make it, and its got more variance being so far out. You cant predict they wont bottom out and rebound before those picks so they are worth less than PHX next year for instance.
AJ Green is a good shooter, everything else is a work in progress.
In order to get KD you have to match KD salary exactly because PHX is 2nd apron and its not possible to get to KD salary without them taking Dame. I guarantee that there will be a better offer for KD than Dame on 2/110 with a torn achilles, and a draft pick.
The team was good the year before and had more assets and salary pieces to go get other pieces that could keep the team deeper and better defensively. Having Jrue get dealt after you move him for a bunch of assets and to the rival team is extra worse. Dame was bad and hurt some year one. Better and hurt some year two, and now has the worst contract in the NBA outside Embiid simply because its shorter. How could the Dame deal not have gone worse? I mean I got the deal at the time, but its turned out terribly.
They have no picks. No tradable contracts above 15M that arent Giannis or super negative assets that will again cost more picks than they have to get off. They dont have much in the way of up and coming players that could be true starters anytime soon. Brook is old and unable to be what he was, but you have to pay him because what other option do you have.
What trade could they possibly make that would make Giannis feel they are contenders? They have minimal assets and potentially like 3 or 4 holes in the top 8 of their rotation and no way to fill them all. At best your convincing Giannis to wait till Dame maybe makes it back the year after next at 36 coming off an achilles repair.
They haven’t traded a pick on draft day since 2021, when they traded their second down for two late seconds. That’s the only time they’ve done it in the last 10 years.
Didnt they trade down 2 years ago and then pick in the 30s instead? Maybe Im thinking of someone else. They did draft a bunch of young raw players with Doc as the coach so it was basically wasted draft picks.
Nope, and they only drafted AJ Johnson and Smith with those picks. One of whom they traded, so not a wasted pick on its own merits. The trade wasn’t good, but he was an asset another team wanted.
status quo business from the NBA as usual
Oh just stop, the only narrative being driven here is by you
G will be traded because the current Mil sitch is untenable, nothing more, nothing less
League diven? Those are HIS quotes in the article (you probably didnt read)
Stop with the poor small market as well, the whole league is catered to small market at every turn . They have the House of Reps, Congress and Executive Branch in their pocket while also still carrying the casual fan vote as well to give them shade to work under (hat tip to you there)
Follow the money, follow the activity, hell just follow whoes thriving today and see its not a BIG market world in the NBA today whatsoever
There are no quotes from Giannis in the article…
His reps are quoted as having a meeting already set. Thats as good as a quote from him. Your going to have to come to terms with the fact he is gone. Its all over all the NBA media this is it its already over. Just hope he doesnt do like Lillard and ask for a trade right after giving bad money to a player like Grant in hopes of getting him to stay.
You’re obviously missing all the reports that teams expect him to stay this offseason.
I think you fell of the rocker…
Doncic to the Lakers is a great example of this. The league allows it because everyone benefits when Doncic wears a Lakers jersey. If he we’re traded to… Say Washington you’d would’ve seen it vetoed immediately.
Yes follow the money. Money talks. Big markets have more than the small markets in almost every capacity even with the extra help that you named being given to small markets.
MLB does it. NBA does it. NHL will be doing it soon enough when the cap rises.
Here’s a diagram:
Big markets > Small markets
Hope that helps :)
Can they re-hire Adrian Griffin after he leaves?
Kuzma, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter will save us……..come on Bucks management
Here comes the fan bad trade ideas thinking your team will get him for a free throw away players. Bucks trade him they are on a rebuild so starting point will be 5 1st rounders and young up and coming players.
Teams that could offer 5 FRPs.
OKC, Brooklyn, Utah, Houston, Charlotte, Washington, Orlando, Memphis, Toronto, San Antonio, New Orleans, Sacramento, Detroit.
You can scratch off Brooklyn, Utah, Charlotte, Memphis, Sacramento and New Orleans because they don’t have enough young talent (forgive my ignorance I’m not experts on all these teams, I could be mistaken about your favorite). Orlando, Detroit and Washington probably aren’t willing to part with the type of talent we’re looking for.
That leaves – OKC, Houston, San Antonio and, maybe, Toronto with enough draft capital and available/appealing young talent. Seems like Giannis is staying unless he forces his way out because none of those teams seem anxious to empty the cupboard for anyone.
Edit – OKCs picks aren’t great when you look at protections and length of time to convey. San Antonio is rough unless you include Castle and Toronto just doesn’t have a single asset that’s a center piece. Houston would have to outbid themselves to make a package even remotely acceptable for Giannis.
If OKC loses in the playoffs you will see them make a run at him and they have enough picks and young player. More like a 70% chance he stays with the Bucks. Bucks are in a good position to wait out a great deal. They can wait for a over pay for him. My feelings is this would be the perfect time to do a rebuild for the Bucks and could put them back into the playoffs soon. Llirad is $54 million dead money next year. There is very few contracts on the team holding them back. Could be a quick rebuild for teh future especially if they could get #1 pick Cooper in the draft.
They have a lot of future picks that are protected or their own where they wont be good.
The biggest problem is they have too many good contracts where you have to give up 3-5 of your real role players that you want to keep to match Giannis contract.
If they add Holmgren to the package who i am not real high on it could happen.
I would think More Jalen Williams. He is a wing they could either build around or flip for more assets if they go maximum teardown. Chet is nice, but his value is harder for me to pin down. You also need like 54M in matching so thats a complication.
Only way the Bucks trade Giannis is if they are going to do a massive rebuild. Would love to see the warriors be part of a 3 way trade so Bucks get Kuminga in a sign and trade to replace Giannis and the warriors get some pieces back
I still think GSW has easily one of the 3 best packages for one of the teams that could contend. Im not so high on HOU especially after whatever salary matching gets him in the door, they just have no shooting on the roster thats playable.
I think the Thunder would be more willing to trade Holmgren than Williams. It makes far more sense for them position wise. Holmgren isn’t playing the wing if Giannis joins. Hartenstein isn’t playing the wing either. They would have a big hole at that spot. Giannis would just slot in alongside Hartenstein in the front court
I mean Giannis has worked with a stretch center which Hart isnt, so i would think they would want to run a lineup with Chet as the stretch C and Giannis as the help defending power forward.
GSW have 4+3 swaps. They also would move Jimmy in the deal, who has rehabbed his value enough to get a couple firsts back sending him to a 3rd team ,so you can build a package around mostly picks with multiple teams picks mixed in.
OKC has mostly ok protected picks that dont count the same, and their own wont be good. If they are willing to include J Will then they might get some traction especially if they also put in someone like Wiggins/Joe, who are on really attractive contracts for role players on title teams, so you could keep Jalen as the centerpiece of the rebuild and flip the rest of the package for more assets along with the picks they recieve.
Nobody wants Spurs picks in the next 7 years with Wemby on the roster.
Hou has some good ones, but they probably dont want to give up any young players and your paying me to take Jalen if Im MIL where he costs you extra picks to dump his 110M. The problem with HOU is Giannis is a bad fit who probably wouldnt want to go there since they have no shooting now and less with him taking Greens salary slot. I expect them to keep Amen and be trying to keep Sengun.
BRK isnt a contender and isnt Giannis away from being a contender so I really doubt he wants to go to BRK.
MEM is a contending team out of the others you named, but doesnt have nearly the assets.
No other lottery team has a chance unless they want to offer Flagg
Giannis has always been exactly what a team would want him to be, and brought MIL a championship, so I doubt they send him to a team like BRK where he also isnt contending and doesnt want to be. This is one of those where he will be able to steer his way to somewhere good or else he might just stay. You need a team able to contend now after trading for Giannis thats dealing future assets to get him.
San Antonio has a few Hawks picks that aren’t terrible. But I struggle to see many teams that have picks, young talent and would be a better situation that MIL. It’s a tight needle to thread for MIL. Also Iko and Amick’s piece implies the Rockets do not view Green as a negative asset like a lot of fans do. I think it remains to be seen if there’s a similar view in front offices around the league. Theoretically a few view him in a positive light so if MIL doesn’t like him three way deals open up? But with Sengun it’s not a clean fit in Houston either. Giannis is a tight spot. I suppose Golden State actually makes sense, I hadn’t considered them.
SA has one Hawks pick this year with low odds of jumping into the top 4 and one next season when the Hawks will be at least avg unless things change in a big way for them.
They dont have any picks you would look at as being even likely lottery picks because most are their own, and Wemby…
Chap- Jimmy cant be traded till 5 weeks after all the activity starts
Doubtful Mil is going to wait that long when 98% of all the movement occurs between 7/1 and 8/6 when Jimmy can be dealt
Cross GSW off the list
You can come to a full agreement before hand and just wait to complete it. Also most of the high paid stars traded the last several offseasons have been dealt later in aug-sept
I just dont see how you can hang with offers from OKC, Hou, SA Orl Brk if G is willing to go there
Now if its a “I only want to go to GSW” outta G’s mouth then sure, and that happens quite a bit in the NBA….but the free market has you beat and its not all that close
And curious, is Jimmy just going to 3rd team X with smiles or does 3rd team have to pass a grumpy test measured by emojis in this hypothetical?
I said a couple weeks back that OKC has the young talent and picks to land Giannis. I think another point in their favor is youth and they’ll still have a lot of picks. They are later picks. But, Presti seems to have an eye for talent. OKC could look for draft and stash players. Jokic, Draymond and I’m sure you could find others were all 2nd round picks. They could give them time to develop while Giannis and Company were terrorizing the NBA.
OKC has so much talent they could only trade 1 draft pick if they added Holmgren to the deal. just amazing how much talent that team has with so many draft picks. Add Curso, Joe, and Wiggins or a Williams in the deal there is no way Bucks could turn down that deal.
Rockets would be a strange fit, but when a superstar is available, you gotta take your shot. Only two players that are off the table are likely Sengun and Amen. FVV sounds like hell be back. Mix and match 3-4 of their rotational players (plus whitmore and shepherd) and all of phoenix’s picks + whatever other 1st round draft cap Houston can send to max the return of picks for Milwaukee.
I doubt there are any off limits players when it comes to giannis, except maybe Anthony Edwards. The rockets would be fools to pass on a deal because sengun or amen are off limits. Granted, I would push for a deal centered around Jalen green but wouldn’t hang up if they said they wanted amen or sengun.
Amen is really good now and on below market contracts for the next 6 years, so unless they want to do Amen a couple picks and salary filler I doubt you have both Amen and lots of picks.
Players like Luka/Steph/SGA etc are off limits
You may have to pay someone to take Green and his 3/110 after what he did in the playoffs. I think his contract has a trade kicker of at least 15% too.
Of course. Amen or sengun means you get 2 1sts at most, depending on what it takes to match salaries
Sengun would be Part of the deal. You can’t have those 3 play together anyway as all 3 need the lane no spacing.
Lakers get: Draymond Green
Suns get: Jimmy Butler
Bucks get: Austin Reaves, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis and picks
Warriors get: Giannis and KD + whoever else to salary match
Makes all teams way better
Wow! There’s delusional/terrible and then there is this suggestion…
He will never give up on pretending the warriors will get Giannis.
Well its not “pretending” but nope, I will not give up hoping the Warriors get him!
I think they are one of the 5 most suited to do it since Giannis wont get traded to a team like the Jazz that has lots of picks and nothing else. They will ship him to at least something resembling a contender, because he would just stay in MIL over going to Utah I think.
GSW are one of the only contenders who also has a full cupboard of draft picks. Also I think GSW 1sts that are past the Steph career window are very very valuable. If theres a team your betting against their future right now picks after Steph retires are way way up there in value behind only maybe Suns picks.
It just wont be these insane trades like Davey says it would be Butler to a 3rd team and like 6-7 1sts 2 swaps plus Kuminga if the Bucks want him for Giannis. GSW is one of the few that most of the assets teams would want are not current roster players on a playoff team, so you have a good team now and future assets the Bucks would want. Giannis probably has playing with Steph pretty high on his bingo card too so I wouldnt be at all shocked if he is one of like 3 teams Giannis would want a trade too.
@arc89
Or KD, who has already said he doesn’t want to come back to GSW.
@NBA is OK KD is not coming back to GSW.
@arc89
Which is why it’s funny that Davey posts it all the time
@NBA that is why even warrior fans are tired of him.
I was going to say that does anyone want to point out to him that the NBA has a salary cap. The starting 5 alone would make $200 million; it is something like $185. The other 13 players on the roster, 10 standard contracts and 3 2-way, would be GLeaguers. Kerr could clone Pat Spencer. SMALL BALL CITY!!!. Hysterical.
@Casor_Greener – unless you propose trades of your own, please do not comment on others. Same goes for everyone. This is the trade rumors website, either be a boss and make up trades in here, or stay quiet. Making reply guy comments on others trades, when you are too cowardly to come up with and post ideas yourself, means you are a bad poster. Thanks!
Too bad your trades will never happen. Like ever…
Nope, being a bad poster is posting the same homerish trade ideas and calling people names for rightfully pointing out how dumb they are. Go back to Warriors Reddit
Pretty sure Davey has this exact response copy pasted every time someone criticizes a trade idea of his. Victim complex knows no bounds.
If you don’t want criticism, don’t post. The Lakers No. 1 need is a Center. Draymond has said it himself that he not a Center. So, why would Lakers trade for Draymond?
“Makes the Bucks way better” trading Giannis for a bunch of role players, get real
Austin Reaves “role player” = you dont know ball lil bro
You keep calling me lil bro and saying I don’t know ball when you’re constantly posting the stupidest Warriors homer trade ideas that everyone here recognizes are brain rotted. Pot meet kettle
@Enregistre I have to correct you about Davey. He is not a Warriors homer. He is a Curry-after-Steph-won-a-ring-I-hate-Kerr-homer. He admitted that he didn’t like Curry until 2014. Now he can not stop about Curry. He also insists that Kerr will never play a 7-footer because he is obsessed with small ball, ignoring the fact that Quentin Post, a 7-footer, played in 42 games, averaging 14 minutes as a Rookie. And he wonders why people criticize him.
Ahhh so he’s just a guy who chooses whoever is the league’s best player at any given moment and then sticks around until they’re cooked. Not a fan of a team, a fan of a player. Fandom in other sports is so much less toxic because there aren’t homers for stars in baseball or football. People root for teams.
I think that is a problem with basketball. It’s audience is star driven. The other sports probably have a higher percentage of very knowledgeable fans compared to basketball. I am no expert. People on here scoff at the GLeague, or developmental league. In baseball, most fans know who is in the minors of their favorite team and can follow them. It also seems that you have a lot less tanking in baseball. Draft picks don’t have the same value.
He is also expiring. AR wasnt super valuable because he was a top 30 player in the league, it was because he was a top 75 player on a top 350 players contract. They got him for a song, and have used up his cheap years themselves.
He also, despite being a true pain in the @ss at times, is one of the best defensive players in basketball all time. Its not easy to replace what he does in the Warriors system because he is such a unique player.
Your monies aren’t even close to match
Do you know how trades work in the NBA ?
Yes, that’s why you should view all trade propositions on here as “frameworks” not “finished deals”. You don’t know how NBA trades work, because my multi-teamer here is more of the norm these days than ever before.
Dude your always way way off on salary matching. Like to the point you will propose acquisitions the teams dont even have legal matching for. There are dozens of trade machines out there that will at least let you know if you anywhere close to matching.
OKC, dubs and raps make most sense.
Okc the only team with picks and young talent. If they win it all this year they will not trade for another max and older guy.
Raps would have to put Barnes in because Ingram is not that guy.
Dubs don’t have picks and they don’t play Kuminga enough to showcase.
GSW have every future pick besides selections 20-30 on their 30 pick going to WAS, but they can trade that pick for 1-19. They owe this seasons meh pick too but by the offseason have another one.
Kuminga has some value, but its really hard to peg. They may want him as a young player to rebuild around, but you also have to pay him.
Butler is matching salary making almost exactly what Giannis does, and after how good he has been with the Warriors should bring back a couple more draft picks to include from a 3rd contender.
I highly doubt the Warriors will trade Kuminga. Doesn’t make sense.
@ Giants74
IMO he’s likely to get traded since Kerr doesn’t like him.
From a fit standpoint raps,OKc. Yes dubs don’t have the picks but the fit though…
Raptors are trash. BI/Quickly/Poetle all bad deals costing the team 100M+ in luxury space.
GSW has all future picks except the back of one in 3o. They just dont have extra picks beyond the full 7.
I don’t agree with Quickley’s new contract but that doesn’t make raps trash.
Barnes isnt a number one, not sure if he is even a number two on a title team.
So they have who? Quickly is over payed. Poetle is over payed. BI is over payed. Dick hasnt developed as well or quickly as his draft pedigree. RJ is a nice player but makes a lot.
Like this team was not even close to the play in and the East was trash. So they add BI who I think isnt a winning player unless you entirely build around him, and he isnt good enough to make building around him worth it.
SB is about to quadruple in cost this season with the new contract kicking in. So yeah team has been rebuilding ish for 2 years now and has 181M already committed for the next 2 years but isnt even a playoff team. I dont think you get much for most of the team on the contracts they have, so unless they get wild draft luck this year, or tear it down to the studs they are stuck in no mans land with a super expensive bad team.
I dont even think outside Scotty and Dick that most of the players have further upside where most of the roster will be the same or getting worse.
@ AncientOne
I don’t think Presti makes a trade for Giannis even if they don’t win the title. ^* team with a top 5 net rating all time runs it back regardless.
I do agree it isn’t likely even with a loss. Unless Jalen Williams was to express being unhappy they should stay with the team. Why sacrifice potential 10+ years of a dynasty with picks and young talent for 3-5 with Giannis. 1-2 if KD was the target.
Also those first max contracts for the young guys are the fun maxes and make it so you dont have to break the core up for way longer.
I have Spurs being the team that gets Giannis. Castle/Johnson/Vassell and maybe HB along with with multiple picks. Wemby/Giannis will be the greatest front court ever seen in the history of the NBA then.
Fox/Giannis/Wemby would be deadly.
Wemby/Giannis as the greatest front court ever seen? It’s only going to be Wembanyama’s third season but I need to see more than untapped potential from him before I could rank that pairing anywhere near that of Robinson/Duncan or Bird/McHale/Parrish
Robinson was 33 by the time Duncan arrived. Bird/McHale/Parrish is #1 for me but we have prime Giannis at 30, who is 3 years younger than Robinson was. Also, Giannis is still putting up MVP numbers, and Wemby is arguably the best young defender we have ever seen. It’s not too early to say that would be a top 3-top 5 front line tandem ever but I see your logic. Both need to stay healthy and productive.
They dont have very good draft assets actually. They have 2 Atlanta picks, but unless the one this year jumps to 1 or 2 it isnt worth much, and Atlanta looks like they wont be a bottom feeder next season so its not going to be that high. They have a couple good swaps.
The problem is the Spurs mostly have their own picks, and while those were very valuable 2 years ago, nobody is valuing those as anything above 25th with Wemby/Fox and then Giannis under contract for the next decade almost.
The Bucks have to get younger and quicker. If Giannis moving elsewhere and it’s done right, it’s possible but I’m not holding my breath.
It depends on what the Bucks want? Wings? Big men? Picks with expiring contracts? Milwaukee isn’t really a big time destination for NBA free agents. So I’m interested to see what their agenda is if they trade Giannis.
You go OKC route and rent your cap space while flipping players for more picks, and then flipping the players you get back for more but worse picks, until you buy out the ones nobody wants.
I’ll believe it when i see it.
Murray/Gordon/Porter for Giannis
Sign Luka in 2026
Jokic
Giannis
Luka
5 peat.
lmao I love it
Murray = bad contract
Gordon = due for an extension or soon to be FA
Porter = hurt and bad contract
What assets are you giving up? I mean this looks like your losing Gordon to clear your books, and have cap room, and Giannis I dont think thats happening, ever.
Luka will get traded or sign an extension. Thats what happens now with stars. The last one to actually reach FA was Kawhi 6 years ago now. Teams either extend or trade the player to somewhere that will extend on all super stars now.
Gordon has 3 years left on his deal then a player option for a 4th
Oh yeah his just got redone I was a year off
I have no idea what Milwaukee would want but if I am randomly guessing, I think Toronto is a great fit for Giannis.
First off, it’s an international city and keeps him in the East which I would think he would prefer, plus Toronto has draft assets and players to make a deal.
Just my guess. Lakers want him, but just dont have the assets. Nobody wants Bronny and Lebron will not agree to a trade unless it’s to GS with Steph and Draymond.
Lebron is keeping the Lakers from getting their dream team of Luka and Giannis.
I think whoever gets Cooper Flagg could offer him for Giannis right from the jump
No doubt. It will be interesting if that team is Utah.
Lauri and Flagg for Giannis would be a huge risk/reward if Utah was down to spend money to put the right guys around Giannis
Giannis is never going to Utah lol.
For Flagg and Lauri, why not?
Utah loves white so highly doubt they deal Lauri and Flagg for Giannis.
Whitest crowd in the NBA lols. Its like finding a 4 leaf clover spotting a black person at a Utah Jazz game who isnt on the court.
Why would Giannis want to go to Utah? They deal Flagg for him along with Lauri because he is probably the only way to matching salary. So Giannis gets to play with who? And contends how?
Giannis has earned enough equity that they wont just ship him to basketball Siberia to never make the playoffs again.
I don’t see Giannis going to Utah but they could make a trade without Markkanen or their 1st in this draft. Clarkson, Sexton, Martin are expiring deals and Kessler is an intriguing young player to send back. They also have a ton of picks.
Giannis brought MIL the only title in 50 years. After all this time you cant send him to miss the playoffs in Utah. They are so far from good I didnt even bother to look at the contracts.
Utah is a good partner for Milwaukee with Giannis staying. They could flip salary to the Jazz alongside their 2031 and 2032 first/swap for a package including some of Markkanen, Kessler, Sexton, Collins, etc.
Dude Ainge turned down most of the Warriors draft picks for Lauri this winter. I will grant you that he had a terrible year and probably looked at as a less valuable asset, but that means they shouldnt trade him now. You cannot and will not get Utah to trade either Lauri/Walker for that few assets based on all reporting of the packages they want. Maybe you get Sexton for the one pick, but he doesnt help MIL enough, and the Bucks dont have great matching salary if your keeping Giannis.
Dame = 102M future salary for 2 seasons with a torn Achilles
Kuzma = 43M/future in 2 seasons
Both of those will cost you more picks than MIL has to dump for nothing of value in return.
So you can trade Pats 9M because Portis has a player option that doesnt pay him enough and will opt out for a new deal, and every other player under contract not named Giannis makes less than 3M so you dont have matching for pretty much anything unless its a bad contract swap like Dame for Beal.
His contract is thought of one of the worst in the league. I am sure Utah would love to get out of that and get what will likely be a top 5 pick in 2031. Kuzma is their main salary-matching piece, plus Connaughton’s expiring. Utah would get out of $195.8m over the next four years and just have to take 2 years of Kuzma and one of Connaughton. I’m sure they’d happily take that plus a 2031 first, especially if they get Flagg, who is duplicative of Markkanen.
They wont sell low on a player as young as Lauri that was good last year dude. You will either pay 60% of the ask from the Warriors, which was all the picks swaps and young players, or Ainge will just wait and see if his super valuable asset rebounds this next year.
Smart executives arent stupid enough to sell an asset at its worst value point just because you want them too. You still would have to pay more than 1 pick 1 swap and a bunch of bad contracts man like by a lot.
Kuz/Pat are both negative value deals it would cost something in the neighborhood of 2 firsts or a first and several seconds just to get off of. They dont have much future salary so they dont care about paying Markkanen until he rehabs his value since they will have to meet the salary floor anyways. They didnt get Flagg and are going to still be in the wilderness without a top 5 pick.
Markkanen is 27 and is due so much money and was not good last year, dude. Look him up.
Connaughton is an expiring deal. Kuzma has a declining salary. Those two salaries plus the picks will get back a player who wants out or a guy who is on a bad contract. They could swap Kuzma for DeRozan and a heavily protected first right now.
He cant contend with TOR because they are not a playoff team while playing in the dumpster fire conference that only really has 4 good teams.
Giannis wants to go to a contender. I dont know what that junk in TOR is that missed the playoffs while being close to the second apron in salaries for the next several years, but I dont think Giannis thinks thats the team he can get a ring with.
Bronny isnt even a throw in. They have 1 future pick and Austin Reeves thats pretty much it. LeBron can just opt out and leave for nothing if he wants, so yeah he could get himself just about anywhere he wants to go.
As I said it was a guess.
I really dont like what TOR is doing roster wise lols. So many mediocre to bad contracts getting a mediocre to bad team almost to the second apron. BI aint the savior for that mess.
You hate Toronto, we get it. But you sound bitter. Raptors actually makes moves to be good. While wiz, nets, hornets, jazz, kings have been trash for years. Interesting how you all never mention them. But of course Toronto is just who you hate so much that it causes you’re heart to race faster. Giannia has ties to Ujiri so can’t say it’s impossible for him to end up in Toronto. Also Scottie, Agbaji and picks for Giannis is a good deal. Giannis, RJ, top 5 pick and Quickley is a lethal core.
I did mention above that the Nets are a bad match since Giannis cant compete there either. I thought it was a given that none of WAS/CHO/UTH/SAC have any chance at Giannis or are good teams.
Would what is left after sending Scottie for Giannis be a contender? This draft has 2 difference makers from what draft people are saying, and if you drop instead of rise it gets mediocre pretty fast, where most people are saying guys at 12 would be great at 30 but bad at 12, and most of this draft is guys who are great at 30.
I think the BI/Quickly/Poetle contracts are trash. The team doesnt have enough shooting or an identity, and was unable to even beat out the terribad Bulls for a play in spot, so I dont see them being one piece away from contending in an east with a loaded top, while having to move a lot of assets to get that one piece.
Its hard to make a mega trade and win. You give up a lot and what your left with has to still be a contender. When you start as a bottom dwelling team with 1st apron money committed to that bad roster for 2 years (never mind having to extend players like Dick hitting the end of the rookie deals), I dont think this team should be going after Giannis.
Ujiri didnt trade Siakam till he was worth less. Did the same with OG. Did trade for BI and sign him to a huge extension without him playing a single game. Traded for Poetle when the team wasnt good and then gave him a above market extension to keep him. He did the same with Quickly. But no yeah Ujiri is a rock he for sure will get this done in a way that works and builds a winner.
I dont hate Toronto man, but I dont think theyre good either. Dont spray your HaterAid at me just for breaking the hard truth to you…
The Pelicans control the Bucks future as far as 1st round draft picks go. They have swaps in 2026 and 27 via the Holiday trade. If the Bucks trade Giannis and decide to tank the Bucks would almost have to work with the Pelicans if they want to control their own tank. They also have plenty of firsts to put together a compelling package. The Pelicans also have expiring contracts and young talent.
If Giannis wants to leave, it won’t be to go to NO who has no championship future.
The Pelicans only control the Bucks’ 2026 and 2027 picks. The following 3 years are controlled by Portland. They’d need to work with both teams.
As a long time Bucks fan, I don’t blame him for considering playing elsewhere. He has a lot of game left in him and would waste it in Milwaukee.
If he is traded, I worry the Bucks will mess that up.
I wish he could play for a good Bucks team his whole career, but I think this is whats best for everyone with how this has gone with Dame. Bummer too since you still have to try and salvage the Dame deal eventually so it wasnt all that for this.
Whatever deal it is… I’m betting its a 3 team trade that has him ending up in Miami and Tyler Herro (a Wisconsin native) ending up in Milwaukee… I expect tons of other stuff in between (like Terry Rozier’s expiring contract going to a 3rd team, Duncan Robinson’s Expiring contract as well)… but I think the core of the deal will end up with Giannis in Miami and Herro in Milwaukee.. my 2 cents
They are down some draft capital already. Also Rozier is probably un tradable until the NBA releases the results of the investigation into him and gambling anomalies. Also is Bam/Giannis and ? a contender? Since Herro was the only offense this season. JJ was bad this season. I dont see Giannis wanting to go play in whats left of the MIA roster after a trade.
Also Herro is way way way less valuable than Giannis especially with his second half and play in performances. So it would be Herro and a bunch of other stuff.
a 25+ million dollar EXPIRING contract is untradeable? Since when? lol
This is all planned he will leave. The fans will stop coming and the team will be moving to Memphis. They’re gonna bring in the FedEx guy Clay Travis and Peyton Manning as investors in the team Haslem already owns 20%.. for Charles Finley moved the team out of Memphis to Oakland. He sold the name of Tams to the NBA and they still have that and they were returned to that name. Can’t put it in Nashville because they’re getting the Tampa Bay team from baseball.
Sounds like a good plot for Yellowstone season 6, maybe pitch um it, they are running thin currently
I will be very surprised if Giannis asks to be traded. If he doesn’t, no way the Bucks will do it.
If he doesn’t ask to be traded, the Bucks would be foolish to do it.