Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade and the Bucks are reportedly focused on improving their roster around him, but teams around the NBA continue to monitor the situation, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said on First Take (YouTube link) that potential Antetokounmpo suitors are hoping he won’t be thrilled by the moves Milwaukee makes in the coming days and weeks.
“The Bucks have seven free agents. Seven. Three or four of which I would refer to as core players,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “The Bucks do not have salary cap space. The Bucks do not control their first-round draft pick for the next five years. They can’t trade it — they can’t trade the pick or the swap. The Bucks are in situation where they cannot count on Dame Lillard for next year. Maybe he can come back, but they cannot count on it. The Bucks are not interested right now in trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Giannis, to our knowledge, to my belief, has not asked for a trade. Those are the facts.
“We are also before the draft. We are before free agency. Will the Bucks do some things over the next two, three weeks to put themselves in a position where they can look like they could win the Eastern Conference, with those limitations? Maybe.”
Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith interjected at that point to say that the Bucks’ odds of reemerging as an Eastern Conference favorite seem “highly unlikely.”
“Right, so that’s why the league is waiting,” Windhorst continued. “People want to know why aren’t the Knicks going all-in for Kevin Durant? Why aren’t the Heat going all-in for Kevin Durant? Because, in part – there’s other reasons, but in part -they want to see what happens here with the Bucks. And we’re going to be watching closely.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Checking in on the Kings‘ roster situation and potential trade candidates ahead of the draft, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports that the team wants to add “length and athleticism” in its frontcourt and is hoping to add a power forward/center in order to slide Keegan Murray back to small forward. According to Anderson, Murray and Keon Ellis have been generating “strong” trade interest, but Sacramento isn’t enthusiastic about moving either player.
- The Bulls‘ front office has been “more responsive” to trade conversations this offseason than in the past, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley suggests that forward Patrick Williams is viewed as a prime candidate for Chicago, though the former No. 4 overall pick – who hasn’t taken a major step forward in recent years – still has four seasons and $72MM left on his current contract, which will make it difficult to move him for positive value without a sweetener attached.
- Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided a little more information on what the Heat would’ve have had to give up to get Durant from the Suns, supplementing prior reporting from The Miami Herald. In order to keep Kel’el Ware out of a Durant deal, Miami likely would have had to put Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 overall pick, and a pick swap in its package, according to Charania. The Heat’s final offer reportedly fell well short of that.
Durant will be hurt next year. It is inevitable.
You have to love PatWill for his commitment to consistency. Always between 9.0 and 10.2 ppg … even in college !
If the bulls give up the #12 pick w Pat to trade for RJ Barrett as I saw floated, I’m gonna lose my sht.
Whoever gave him that contract extension should be banned from the NBA. As if picking him fourth wasn’t enough
You can take a look at him and see Kawhi Leonard tho… I’m talking about physically… he’s got the type of frame that projects.. but he’s never progressed as a player.
He’s a beta, no desire to take control in a game it’s maddening.
100%. Agree that the pick was justified, but yes the next contract was criminal.
For no rzn. Who else was offering him that $?
So frustrating to know that the bulls will always lose every FA or trade, no matter the context
Let’s say Bulls and Heat want to acquire Kuminga.
I don’t want to chat with them. I hang up my phone.
Yes, chat with Jazz, Blazers and Kings (Murray, Ellis)
I’m convinced you need to have your own podcast.
“ People want to know why aren’t the Knicks going all-in for Kevin Durant? Why aren’t the Heat going all-in for Kevin Durant?”
– KD picked Houston, that’s why. Once that was made clear, everyone else backed off. Windhorst even said this
Some reporters are lazy washed up athletes and don’t mind writing stories for clicks.
Durant had the Knicks at the top of his list. Karma got him back. Besides, he’s a whiny head case with an entitled attitude. Hard pass and based on his last two stops, it doesn’t look like it’ll get any better.
The bulls are frustrating. I feel bad for their fans.
We must have unknowingly sold our soles for the heyday of MJ in the 90’s. It was a helluva childhood, but man are we still paying for it. Worst part is no change in sight with Reinsdorf committed to keeping the Bulls in the family (not that we need another Ishbia mortgaging the next decade for a shot at some fading stars).
Unfortunately, my childhood came during the DRose era 😢
Bucks gonna improve how? Gonna magically get Ayton, Jeremi Grant & Schroder? Be realistic. Trade Giannis and snap back to reality…
Giannis to >>>>> to San Antonio …… remember the Alamo !!!!!!
#2 pick (Dylan Harper), Devin Vassell, Harison Barnes, Jeremy Schan, #14 pick (Thomad Sorber)
All to Milwaukee Bucks ………. And a future pick.
A little throwback to the Robinson/Duncan days with Giannis and Wemby? They could certainly do it if they wanted, would be cool to see the twin towers operate in this pace and space NBA.
Fox would have to go back in return if I’m correct on the money. Besides, if I’m the Spurs I’d rather move him than Harper. Harper/Castle/Vassell is one hell if a 1-3 defensively and can be interchangeable at positions if needed. Sadly I think the Bucks would insist on both Harper and Castle before moving Giannis.
This Reeks of how Portland went about the Dame business and we all know how that ended
Ofc Giannis is in a different stratosphere but the same rules apply
I know its tough for Mil fans, and Im not one, but my stance if I was is you have to get a handshake commitment in a year on an extension from Giannis or I’m dealing you before 5 pm Wednesday.
Idk, often times things are more complex than this but this is very straightforward with me. Im not playing this a toe in toe out game if Im MIL ownership all the while crossing my fingers
They’re pretty screwed if they don’t trade him, no picks and no cap with your “#2” out for the year and likely not the same player when he returns in ‘27. How can they possibly add enough to make Giannis want to stay?
The subject certainly has to be discussed. But a handshake commitment this far out would be problematic for me as a player, because it almost can’t be absolute – and I doubt either party could think of all the conditions there might be from either’s perspective. This can’t be written anywhere, so I would be uncomfortable that the parties might have different interpretations of unwritten words. Also, if the NBA investigates, then I’d have to lie (or mislead) and hope that no team employee says or implies otherwise. What wouldn’t be problematic for me is telling the team what I would do today if I was eligible for the extension, and what might change my mind.
As the MIL FO, I’d be OK with all that. I do believe that any significant player can’t be allowed to go unextended into his walk season, but that’s not the case here, there’s another guaranteed year. Certainly, if the first day he’s extension eligible he doesn’t sign, then he’s getting traded.
It’s Dame time….to be a lotto team.
Sacramento really looked at how they won a couple ofnyears ago and said, no that wasnt it; let’s go back to what we were doing before that. That feels like the better way….
I personally would have included Ware, but I also dont think the Heat deal would have been better than Houston’s, and while it would work better for the Heat roster wise, their flexibility would be non existant, again. I could see them trying to offer Wiggins, Rozier, the 20th pick, Ware, Jovic Larsson/Highsmith for KD + Cody Martin, (I would want to keep Jaime amd Jighsmith in thos scenario)and that works roster wise for the Heat, but they cant do anything after that. Meanwhile, phoenix would have more moving parts than they ended up with in the Houston deal, and lesser assets
Zach LaVine and a protected future first for John Collins, Colin Sexton and pick 43
Gives you a point guard that you desperately need and gives you the “athletic and long” forward you want at PF.
That just leaves you needing to find a taker for DeMare DeRozan and looking for some back up forwards.
Sexton Monk Murray Collins Sabonis
Carter Ellis … … Valaucanes
As for DeRozan deals
Maybe Charlotte for Grant Williams and Okogie
Maybe Brooklyn for Mann and Whitehead
Maybe straight swap for Brooks on the Suns
First off, you’re talking about a team who doesn’t respect the point guard. Had Fox and Haliburton. Now they have neither. Secondly, Sexton is not the PG they’d need. He’s really not a PG, he’s too much of a shooter first, thus not in Cleveland and better suited as the 6th guy off the bench.