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Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Landing Spots, Including Rockets, Warriors, Thunder, More
Red-alert time has arrived for the Milwaukee Bucks. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Giannis Antetokounmpo "is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere."
To be clear, Giannis has yet to request a trade, and Charania's report highlighted the fact that no "firm decisions" have been made. However, this feels like the possible prequel to a power-balance-shifting kind of demand.
It's almost as if Antetokounmpo has realized his future would be better served away from the Badger State, but he's still coming to grips with that reality. Remember, this is the only NBA employer he's known, and he's only a few months removed from dismissing the idea of making this kind of power play.
The Bucks will presumably give him all the time he needs to finalize his decision—and hope like heck he'll ultimately decide his best hoops home remains his current one. As far as the rest of the Association is concerned, though, it's time to start putting together mammoth trade packages in hopes of poaching the two-time MVP.
His list of potential landing spots is enormous, but let's dig into eight different destinations and dream up the kind of trade packages that might get an internet-breaking blockbuster deal done. Since finances largely remain in flux at this point on the NBA calendar, we'll focus on trade frameworks and not worry about the exact dollar-for-dollar specifics that would eventually be needed to get this offers across the finish line.
Brooklyn Nets
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Nets for Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Keon Johnson and six first-round picks
Long before Lillard went down, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relayed that Antetokounmpo "has been and remains Plan A for the Nets." Perhaps it was wishful thinking at the time, but dreams can come true.
He's an obvious target for the organization, which ESPN's Brian Windhorst previously reported planned on "going star searching" this offseason. Stars don't shine much brighter than this. Antetokounmpo, who remains in the heart of his prime at 30 years old, has already earned MVP (twice), Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP honors.
The tougher sell here is providing him with a championship blueprint in Brooklyn. The Nets lost 106 games over the past two seasons, and they're without both established stars and blue-chip prospects with obvious star potential.
With all of that said, Brooklyn has gobs of cap space this summer, a marquee market to sell potential targets and a rich enough pick collection to send out several for Antetokounmpo and still have assets left for additional pursuits. Not to mention, first-year head coach Jordi Fernández could be a rising sideline star.
The Nets would have the freedom to rebuild a blank-slate roster around Antetokounmpo, Cam Johnson, a re-signed Cam Thomas and, in a perfect world, one of the prized prospects in the upcoming draft. The combination of this market and this superstar would not be difficult to sell to potential running mates.
Detroit Pistons
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Pistons for Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Ronald Holland II, Tobias Harris and three first-round picks
Detroit's first playoff trip off the Cade Cunningham era was a learning experience. The top lesson delivered? Cunningham needs a co-star.
The first-time All-Star wildly impressed during his first step on basketball's biggest stage (25.0 points, 8.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game), but he didn't have enough help for that to matter. None of his teammates averaged even 16 points per outing, and the four other players who did tally a dozen-plus points a night were all veterans with uncertain futures with the franchise (Harris, Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr.).
Few stars in the entire NBA galaxy shine as bright as Antetokounmpo. He's a one-man wrecking crew on offense (three consecutive seasons of 30-plus points per game) who just so happens to also be a former Defensive Player of the Year. Nikola Jokić might be the best player on the planet, but it isn't hard to argue that Antetokounmpo is the league's top two-way talent.
Adding Antetokounmpo would be a hyper-aggressive form of acceleration, but Cunningham's ascension could warrant such a move. With those two leading the roster—and Ausar Thompson sticking around as either a fascinating developmental project or a hugely attractive trade chip—Detroit could realistically entertain championship dreams as soon as next season.
Golden State Warriors
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Warriors for Jimmy Butler and two first-round picks
The Warriors have been linked to Antetokounmpo for ages. It's all felt like a Dubs dream to this point, but that could change in a hurry if he's (understandably) worried about the Bucks' future.
To be clear, Golden State would not have the best trade package to offer. But it could piece together a compelling offer nonetheless.
Basically, anyone and anything not named Stephen Curry—who is notably repped by the same agency (Octagon) as Antetokounmpo—could be up for grabs. Picks and prospects would be out the door, but a primary building block like Draymond Green or even Jimmy Butler could be involved as well. They'd either get sent back to the Bucks, who lack the draft pick control needed to reap the full rewards of a rebuild, or being sent to a third team that reroutes additional assets to Milwaukee.
It still might need Antetokounmpo's assistance to get a deal across the goal line. And it isn't impossible to imagine him deciding—and vocalizing—that Golden State is his best fit. He and Stephen Curry share an obvious admiration for one another, and their games would be effortlessly intertwined. Beyond the devastation they'd bring in a pick-and-roll partnership, each would feast with the spacing created by the other's gravitational pull on defenders.
Even after a megadeal for Antetokounmpo, the Warriors should have a decent collection of role players, plus one of the NBA's top head coaches in Steve Kerr and an ownership group willing to spend big on a winner. Health-permitting, that's all a contending-level combo for whatever remains of Curry's prime.
Houston Rockets
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore and three first-round picks
The Rockets find themselves on the cusp of championship contention. Their disruptive, dominant defense is ready for basketball's biggest stage. Their competitive fire and the fight instilled under head coach Ime Udoka can keep sturdy legs beneath them through the final rounds of a heavyweight brawl.
But their 12th-ranked offense isn't cutting it. When they can't get out in transition or snare one of their many misfired shots, they're almost drawing dead (22nd in half-court offensive efficiency).
Adding Antetokounmpo to the fold could immediately change that. Scoring may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering the strongest skills in his arsenal, but he just averaged 30-plus points for the third consecutive season and shot better than 60 percent for the second year in a row. He is unstoppable in the paint, obviously, but he's also increasing his potency away from it. The gap between his averages in assists (6.5) and turnovers (3.1) has never been wider, and his mid-range jumper has never been wetter (44.2 percent on high volume).
He could serve as their go-to scorer, but he wouldn't have to monopolize their touches. That's big, because Houston would almost certainly want to do an Antetokounmpo deal without giving up Alperen Şengün. Milwaukee could sign off on such a swap, too, since the Rockets could still send back multiple first-round picks and other young, talented players instead (Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore all feel like logical choices).
With a trade of this magnitude, the Rockets could launch themselves from being feisty up-and-comers to full-fledged contenders.
Memphis Grizzlies
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton to the Grizzlies for Desmond Bane, Zach Edey, GG Jackson, Brandon Clarke, three first-round picks and a first-round pick swap
The Grizzlies collapsed in such dramatic fashion this year that their head coach was fired, their star player popped up in trade talks and they went from second in the West in late February to the eighth seed and the play-in tournament by mid-April.
Maybe that's a reason for Memphis to consider life without Ja Morant, or perhaps it's a sign that the franchise floor general doesn't have enough help. The Grizzlies struggled to offer much resistance during their first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series in which Morant's top two teammates, Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., both posted sub-38 field-goal percentages (and sub-28 connection clips from three).
Get Antetokounmpo on this team, and everything goes out the window. Morant suddenly has an argument for being the NBA's best No. 2 option. Jackson would settle into a No. 3 role on offense that ideally improves his efficiency and increases his defensive impact. Round out the roster with as many shooters as possible, and you probably just put together the NBA's next superteam.
Morant and Antetokounmpo might be an unstoppable force in the open court. While there would be spacing concerns with that duo on offense, betting on their talent to overcome them is a wager worth making. Meanwhile, Jackson and Antetokounmpo could become the proverbial immovable object on defense.
The two-way possibilities for this core are nothing short of championship-level, and Memphis still wouldn't have depleted its depth around that trio.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Thunder for Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topić and four first-round picks
The Thunder don't need Antetokounmpo to win big. They're clearly doing plenty fine without him. Their .829 winning percentage was this season's highest, while their plus-12.9 point differential was the best in history.
Still, they're an obvious choice for this exercise for two reasons. One, their asset collection is so rich that they're positioned to chase anyone. They have so many draft picks and prospects that they could broker a blockbuster without causing too much disruption to their rotation.
Second, for as absurdly stacked as this roster appears, it's still only spawned one superstar. Maybe Oklahoma City feels like Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren possesses that kind of upside, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the only one who has actually achieved that level of dominance.
If that keeps the Thunder from punctuating this otherwise wildly successful season with a title, it shouldn't automatically dismiss the possibility of a massive move. It might feel like their championship window is open indefinitely, but that's never actually the case. Just ask the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook-James Harden Thunder of yesteryear.
Gilgeous-Alexander might need a higher end co-star to get over the championship hump, and Antetokounmpo could fill that role with ease. Depending on how many picks Milwaukee wants, Oklahoma City might be able to do the deal without giving up Williams or Holmgren.
Drop a handful of future first-rounders on the table along with some combination of Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Nikola Topić, and that might be enough to get a deal done.
Orlando Magic
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Magic for Franz Wagner, Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze and three first-round picks
While the Magic could stay on the slow-and-steady developmental path with Wagner and Paolo Banchero leading the way, there's no guarantee that route will ever lead to contention.
You know what could, though? Addressing Orlando's scoring shortage with one of the league's premier point producers and still enhancing what's already an elite defense. If the Magic managed to navigate their spacing concerns, they'd have a pair of jumbo-sized mismatches in Antetokounmpo and Banchero, both of whom are comfortable (and competent in) creating chances for others.
If Orlando needs convincing about the kind of impact Antetokounmpo can make, it wouldn't have to look far to find that vision. John Hammond, who drafted him in Milwaukee, is a senior advisor to the Magic's front office.
Let's be honest, though: Who needs to be talked into the idea of adding Antetokounmpo? He's a generational talent on both ends of the floor, not to mention a champion who could show the remainder of this young core what it takes to climb that mountain.
Banchero has been pretty darn good as an offensive focal point, but he'd be a tremendous second option, particularly on a team that might be the odds-on favorite to have the league's stingiest defense.
San Antonio Spurs
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Potential trade framework: Antetokounmpo to the Spurs for Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and four first-round picks
The Spurs, emboldened by Victor Wembanyama's ascension, made a bold move for De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline. It was undoubtedly a win-now boost, but it stopped well short of being an all-in push.
Adding Antetokounmpo would be different. And if things went as well in practice as they appear on paper, it could be the kind of trade that makes this club a cheat code come to life.
Antetokounmpo might be older and less of a shooter than the ideal co-star for Wemby, but any time there's a chance to pair one once-in-a-generation talent with another, you make that move. Plus, the Spurs are so rich with assets that even a megadeal of this magnitude wouldn't deplete their collection.
They'd give up some (but not all) of Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson plus some (but not all) of the first-round picks they own. That should still leave them with a solid supporting cast around their stars and avenues for expanding their talent base.
An Antetokounmpo-Wembaynama frontcourt might break the game of basketball. It'd be a truly unfair amalgamation of size, length and skill. The Spurs might mess around and become both the unstoppable force and the immovable object.
It's never quite as simple as this, but for context, if the two bigs simply replicated their stats from this season, the towering twosome would be good for roughly 55 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, five blocks and two steals. That's nightmare fuel for the 29 franchises located outside of the Alamo City.
It would take an unprecedented level of aggression from the organization to pull this off, but how many chances does a team—based in a non-destination market—get to pair one generational talent with another? The Spurs could shift the league's balance of power in an instant, and Antetokounmpo might feel they offer him the best chance to contend right now and for years to come.
Unless otherwise noted, stats used courtesy of Basketball-Reference, NBA.com and Cleaning the Glass.
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