Every star player in the NBA is on trade watch. That’s the nature of the modern league. If you’re a star, people will speculate about the possibility of you changing teams. So when a star player makes comments that imply that he could leave, everyone takes notice.
Recently, Giannis Antetokoumnpo of the Milwaukee Bucks made some…comments. Antetokoumnpo said that if the Bucks aren’t on the same page, he won’t re-sign with the team when his contract expires. Now, Bucks fans are on the edge of their seats. Antetokoumnpo is one of the best players in the NBA.
This is huge. The Bucks won’t be trading Antetokoumnpo any time soon – in fact, they’ll hope to avoid moving him at all. Still, he’s officially on trade watch. This is a situation worth monitoring. Here are three teams we think could be suitors for Antetokoumnpo.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Realistically, any team should want Antetokoumnpo. If he’s not the best player in the league, it’s due to the emergence of a certain Serbian passing prodigy. The question is: who can afford Antetokoumnpo?
The Thunder certainly can. In fact, the Thunder could afford anyone. How many first-round picks to the Bucks want? It doesn’t matter. The Bucks have them. This team can acquire the first star to demand a trade if they so choose. Meanwhile, we can assume that the Thunder would be pairing Antetokoumnpo with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That would be one of the most talented duos in the NBA.
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Meanwhile, we’ve seen that Antetokoumnpo can be content in a small market. This feels like a perfect match. Is there another small market team that could pursue Antetokoumnpo?
San Antonio Spurs
This feels unfair. The Spurs just acquired Victor Wembanyama. Pairing him with Antetokoumnpo would make them exceedingly difficult to deal with – and not just when it comes to spelling their superstar’s names. This could be one of the dominant duos in NBA history.
It’s hard to even fathom. How would teams deal with their combined length and defensive versatility? It almost feels safe to assume that the Spurs would win an NBA title or five if they acquired Antetokoumpo. The league should be terrified at this possibility.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks & San Antonio Spurs Updates
At the same time: it doesn’t feel entirely possible. How will the Spurs outbid the Thunder? Without trading Wembanyama, they can’t. We’re high on the potential of this duo, but low on the possibility of the Spurs assembling it. Is there a team who could outbid the Thunder?
Toronto Raptors
Well, it depends on how far teams are willing to go – and what the Bucks want. If they’re only interested in draft capital, we can wrap this up: Antetokoumpo will be a Thunder if he isn’t a Buck. On the other hand, if they want a young player with star upside, it gets a little more complicated.
That’s not to say that the Thunder still wouldn’t have a leg up. If they were willing to part with Chet Holmgren, they’d still have the inside track on Antetokoumnpo. What if they’re not? Now, what if the Toronto Raptors are willing to give up Scottie Barnes?
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks & Toronto Raptors Updates
Suddenly, they could be the frontrunner for Antetokoumnpo. Meanwhile, if the Raptors still have Pascal Siakam on their roster, they should be willing to give up Barnes. They’d be putting together a dominant duo of huge, playmaking wings. If nothing else, we can assume that the Raptors will monitor Antetokoumnpo – we all will.
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