.jpg?w=1280)
Best Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Ideas and Landing Spots Ahead of 2026 NBA Trade Deadline
Monday, nearly a week after news of a semi-active trade-request situation with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks broke, we got more info on whether (and where) Giannis might be traded.
Teams around the league have had plenty of fair warning since ESPN's original report on Dec. 3 that the Bucks and Giannis had started "conversations" about his future.
We also know from ESPN's Brian Windhorst that the 31-year-old superstar asked to be moved prior to the season before recommitting to the Bucks.
With his team now flailing well below .500, a divorce seems as likely as it ever has.
We're here with the trade packages that could ultimately make Milwaukee take that drastic step before the deadline.
Timberwolves Pair Giannis with Anthony Edwards
1 of 8
Minnesota Timberwolves Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ochai Agbaji
Toronto Raptors Get: Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels
Milwaukee Bucks Get: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Collin Murray-Boyles, a 2026 first-round pick from Toronto, a 2028 first-round pick from Toronto and a 2030 first-round pick swap with Toronto
Brooklyn Nets Get: Leonard Miller, 2028 second-round pick from Toronto
On Monday, the buzziest team in the Giannis sweepstakes may well have been the Minnesota Timberwolves. But because they already spent the bulk of their trade assets to build the current team, they'd need some help from another team to make this happen.
And according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, they're currently looking for those potential helpers.
Now, in any three- or four-team trade situation, it's natural to wonder, "Why wouldn't the Toronto Raptors just use their draft assets to try to land Giannis themselves?"
It's a fair question, but this is where Giannis' wishes come into play.
If he doesn't want to join a team long-term, he and his camp can signal that before they expend any assets to get him. And knowing he's likely just a rental would prevent most teams from taking the risk of spending those assets.
So, if Giannis really wants to play for the Timberwolves, and recent reporting suggests he does, other teams may be willing to give up picks to get some of their good players. And those picks could then be re-routed to the Bucks.
In the framework above, Minnesota pairs Anthony Edwards with Giannis. Toronto gets a big upgrade at the 5 and replaces RJ Barrett with a lower-usage wing who'd fit better with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. The Brooklyn Nets get to take a chance on a young(ish) prospect, while also getting a second-round pick just to absorb his salary. And the Bucks get an excellent prospect in Collin Murray-Boyles, two contracts that could be movable between now and the 2027 deadline and three first-round picks.
Brooklyn Nets Throw Their Hat in the Ring
2 of 8
Brooklyn Nets Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Nicolas Claxton, Terance Mann, Egor Demin, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick (via New York), a 2030 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick (via New York) and a 2032 first-round pick (via Denver)
Brooklyn is one of those teams that might be wondering why it would help someone else get Giannis when it might have a chance to jump into the mix itself.
He and Michael Porter Jr. would make for a dynamic one-two punch. And while they might not be a title favorite right away, the Nets would only be a few more pieces away.
And they can offer Milwaukee a lot more picks than some of the other rumored suitors without completely emptying their trove of future assets.
In this package, the Bucks get an intriguing young playmaker in Egor Demin, two veterans they might be able to move in future deals and a whopping five picks.
Now, there would be real concern about giving all that up for a team that might not be an instant contender. And recent reporting suggests Brooklyn hasn't called Milwaukee about a deal. But it has the assets to make some of the other offers look silly.
Giannis Gets to His Preferred Landing Spot, the Knicks
3 of 8
New York Knicks Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, first-round pick swaps in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032 and six second-round picks
Because of recent trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks don't have a ton of draft assets to throw at the Bucks, but they've repeatedly come up as the spot where Giannis would most like to land.
Swapping Giannis for Towns would change the geometry of the floor and the dynamic of New York's offense, but he's an obvious talent upgrade. And the idea of Jalen Brunson-Giannis pick-and-rolls is genuinely scary.
For the Bucks, though this isn't the best deal potentially on the table, it does give them another big man who could eventually add to the value of this trade. Moving KAT elsewhere would almost certainly bring more picks and/or young talent to the Bucks.
And who knows? By 2030 or 2032, those first-round swaps could wind up being pretty valuable.
Another Path to the Knicks
4 of 8
New York Knicks Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jerami Grant
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, a 2026 first-round pick from New York (via Washington), a 2028 first-round pick from Portland (via Orlando), return of swap rights from Portland on 2028 and 2030 first-round picks, and first-round pick swaps from New York in 2030 and 2032
Portland Trail Blazers Get: Mikal Bridges and Guerschon Yabusele
This potential three-teamer comes courtesy of CBS Sports' Sam Quinn, and we broke it down in detail here.
Ultimately, the primary selling point here is the Milwaukee Bucks regaining control of some of their future first-round picks. For a soon-to-be-rebuilding team, that should have significantly more value than another team's picks. Losses only help when you're driving up your own lottery odds.
The reasons for the Knicks to do this are obvious, too. They get the best player out of the deal, and Jerami Grant's outside shooting could help on the flanks of the Brunson-Giannis pick-and-roll.
Portland may be a bit more hesitant to agree, but if the Trail Blazers are indeed interested in Mikal Bridges, there could be a realistic path to Giannis joining the Knicks before the deadline.
Trail Blazers Crash the Party
5 of 8
Portland Trail Blazers Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, Scoot Henderson, a 2028 first-round pick (via Milwaukee), a 2030 first-round pick (via Milwaukee) and a 2032 first-round pick
You don't have to look much farther than another Bucks trade for an example of a superstar's trade saga ending with an unexpected deal.
When Damian Lillard was forecast to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, no one predicted he'd end up in Milwaukee, but surprise suitors sometimes make their way into these parties.
Now, Portland could be on the other side of the conversation, and insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported it's interested.
We already talked about the value of the Blazers' control over those Bucks picks. And because of that, they are uniquely positioned to make an offer for Giannis.
Why facilitate his arrival in New York when you might be able to snag Antetokounmpo yourself?
In this deal, Portland returns a couple picks to the Bucks, adds one of its own firsts and includes 21-year-old Scoot Henderson, to boot.
Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III obviously don't do much for Milwaukee now or in the future, but they at least come with the possibility of eventual trades that add a little more to this return.
For the Blazers, this adds Giannis to both Jrue Holiday (his championship-winning point guard) and Lillard (the one Jrue was traded for). It would give them perhaps the best forward combo in the league with Giannis and Deni Avdija. And it would instantly make them one of the few Western Conference teams you can imagine upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Heat Get Back into the Superstar Business
6 of 8
Miami Heat Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Tyler Herro, Simone Fontecchio, Nikola Jović, Kel'el Ware, a 2030 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick swap and a 2032 first-round pick
Tyler Herro's salary goes a long way toward satisfying the league's salary-matching rules, Simone Fontecchio is on an expiring contract himself and Kel'el Ware and Nikola Jović would instantly give the Bucks an intriguing young core to build around. Even Herro is only 25, so he could be a meaningful part of whatever the next good Bucks team looks like.
For the Heat, the motivation is obvious. Acquiring Giannis would put them back in the superstar business. And while a lack of shooting may make the fit with Giannis and Bam Adebayo a little tight, the sheer talent upgrade is huge.
Plus, a defense anchored by those two could be ferocious.
Warriors Give Stephen Curry One Last Shot
7 of 8
Golden State Warriors Get: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, a 2026 first-round pick swap, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick swap and a 2032 first-round pick
The Golden State Warriors' season turned on a dime when Jimmy Butler went down with a torn ACL. Without him, and if the team stands pat at the trade deadline, there's simply no path to title contention.
But this bad fortune also makes it far easier to justify trading Butler's contract (even if the team is currently signaling that it won't). Turning his salary slot into Giannis, at the very least, restores Golden State's puncher's chance to get Stephen Curry one last title.
And the mere thought of that duo, even though Curry is (and Giannis may be) past his prime, is tantalizing. Curry is still the most terrifying three-point shooter in the league, while Giannis is the most physically dominant interior presence. The inside-out potential there is massive.
For the Bucks, this gives them a trove of future assets that could soon be worth a fortune. By the time those later ones start conveying, Giannis will be in his mid-30s, and Curry could be retired.
Plus, this gives Milwaukee a far more manageable asset by replacing Kyle Kuzma with Jonathan Kuminga. And Moses Moody gives it one more intriguing young(ish) talent.
Of course, reporting on Monday, which suggested that Giannis might not be eager to play second fiddle to Curry, may put a damper on the possibility of him ending up there. But surely, he has the self-confidence to know that even if the fan base still adores Curry, it would functionally be his team before long.
Lakers Jump In...This Summer
8 of 8
We don't have a specific trade package for this one, because frankly, the Los Angeles Lakers don't have anywhere near enough trade assets to realistically land Giannis before the deadline.
But if he's still with the Bucks by the time the 2026 draft rolls around, L.A. could offer Austin Reaves, salary filler, three first-round picks and some pick swaps.
And if Giannis signals to other potential suitors that he'll only extend with the Lakers, that could be enough to pair him with Luka Dončić.
.jpg?w=600 "Surprise Team Picks No. 1 👀")
