NBA Trade Outcome No. 1 – The Bucks Are Forced To Trade Giannis

We saved this one for last, because it was require Giannis Antetokounmpo to do something that most people don’t expect: Force his way out of Milwaukee, as Kawhi Leonard did in San Antonio.

There was the offseason storyline in which Antetokounmpo unfollowed the Bucks and all Bucks-related accounts on Instagram, which of course set off a frenzy of rumors.

And if Antetokounmpo is going to force his way off of Milwaukee, he won’t do it to go a rebuidling squad. So, much like the Spurs were forced to take a “discount return” in exchange for Leonard, the Bucks get the short end of the stick here.

Hypothetical: Giannis expresses interest in joining Jimmy Butler in Miami. The Heat acquire Antetokounmpo, in exchange for Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Andre Iguodala (salary-filler). From the standpoint of matching salaries, this deal works.

If Miami felt generous, they could throw in Kendrick Nunn as well, but as we’ve seen when a player forces his way off a team, the incumbent team does not have leverage.

Now, for the caveats: Giannis does not come across as the type of player who would do this. He seems extremely loyal to Milwaukee, and his image would take a hit if he were to go down this road.

That being said, it remains to be seen if he’s willing to give the Bucks more chances to reach the next level. Milwaukee was the disappointment of the 2020 playoffs until the Clippers collapsed, and it’s plausible to think Giannis could be losing patience — although he’s definitely not blameless in their playoff shortcomings this year.

The other caveat: The Heat would be far from the only team interested. The Warriors are known to have targeted Antetokounmpo for years, and they have picks to offer. The biggest thing working against Golden State is the Bucks would have to take on Andrew Wiggins’ contract. Crazier things have happened, but as of now that just doesn’t seem likely.

In Miami, Antetokounmpo would join a team that has proven it can get to the Finals, unlike the Bucks thus far. But he would have to go through the potentially painful divorce of leaving Milwaukee, and it remains to be seen if he’s willing to do so.