The NBA world was set ablaze recently when Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made some interesting remarks about his future. He didn’t commit to being in Milwaukee long-term, as he wouldn’t be staying with them because of blind loyalty.
Instead, Antetokounmpo is going to go where he feels he has the best chance to win. He sacrifices a lot to help the Bucks win and if they cannot get on the same page about contending, he will seek out opportunities that do.
“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing,” he said to the New York Times.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Almost instantly, people were firing up their trade machines and putting together hypothetical deals that would have Antetokounmpo moving about the league. Two teams mentioned as potential suitors are the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Lakers and the Knicks are already being mentioned as franchises presumed to interest Antetokounmpo down the road if he does decide to move on from Milwaukee,” Marc Stein said via his Substack.
However, some people are not convinced that the Knicks and Lakers would be able to pull off a trade for Antetokoumpo. According to an Eastern Conference general manager who spoke to Heavy Sports, neither New York nor Los Angeles has the kind of assets necessary to swing a deal.
The protections on a lot of the selections that the Knicks own knock down their value. The Lakers don’t have a draft pick that can be traded until 2029, which takes them out of the running unless a player such as Anthony Davis was included in the deal.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Instead, a small market team was mentioned as a possible landing spot for Antetokounmpo; the Oklahoma City Thunder. There isn’t a franchise in the league that can compete with the war chest of assets they have compiled in the opinion of one Western Conference executive.
“No one would be in better position to go after him than OKC,” the exec said. “Not to say they would, but they’d have to be a starting point. They have the young talent, they have, I think it is nine (first-round) picks in the next three years. If Milwaukee decides, OK, we’ve got to move on here, that is the first team you call. There aren’t many guys who are going to make the Thunder think about a big move, packaging the assets. But Giannis is one, if he’d want to go there.”
That would certainly send shockwaves through the league if the Thunder, a small market team, cashed in and acquired a star of Antetokounmpo’s caliber. The Greek Freak has made it clear market size doesn’t matter to him otherwise he would have left Milwaukee.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
His No. 1 goal always has been, and remains, winning. Whichever franchise provides him the best opportunity at taking home another ring is the one he will look to join.
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