New Giannis Trade Rumors Update Possible Landing Spots Amid Warriors, Knicks Buzz
After making food analogies during All-Star weekend to explain his current approach toward evaluating his future options, Giannis Antetokounmpoย is going to have no shortage of potential landing spots if the Milwaukee Bucks make him available in a trade this summer.
Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, executives around the NBA expect Antetokounmpo's list of possible destinations outside of Milwaukee will "grow significantly" in the offseason.
Leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, the teams most-often cited as pursuing Antetokounmpo were the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat.
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One of the teams that's expected to join the fray is the Los Angeles Lakers. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported on Tuesday that one Western Conference executive believes Antetokounmpo is the "big prize" the Lakers will pursue this summer.
The Lakers would likely need to add at least one other team to the mix to sweeten the deal because they can only offer three future first-round draft picks and don't have any young, blue-chip talent on the roster.
Any talk of an Antetokounmpo trade also comes down to whether or not he and the Bucks come to an agreement that it's in both of their interests for him to be moved. It's unclear if that is going to happen at this point.
Antetokounmpo told ESPN's Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend he wants "that steak again" in an analogy when talking about how much he wants to compete for another title.
After the trade deadline passed without him being dealt, Antetokounmpo indicated that he could "attract" talent to Milwaukee in a post on social media.
This offseason seems likely to provide more clarity on the Antetokounmpo situation in Milwaukee. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension with the Bucks on Oct. 1.
If Antetokounmpo indicates he won't sign a new deal with them, it would seem to be in the Bucks' best interest to trade him and get back as many long-term assets as they can.
