MILWAUKEE, WI - Although it’s been unusually quiet around the NBA during this season’s trade deadline, plenty of huge moves are just around the corner! ESPN’s Shams Charania announced Wednesday, “Giannis is ready for a new home at the trade deadline or in the off-season. The franchise is starting to listen.”
Two-time MVP and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown disinterest within the Bucks' organization. On January 13th, Giannis was visibly frustrated as Milwaukee fans began to “boo” him and the Bucks. This was due to poor effort and a 31-point deficit in a 139-106 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Giannis seemingly thrived off the negativity, laying up the ball with a foul, gesturing to the crowd with his thumbs facing downwards, booing back to the crowd, and saying, “And one! Boo this!”
“Whenever I get booed, I boo back.” Antetokounmpo said after his 25-point effort. “It doesn’t matter. I play basketball for my teammates. I play basketball for myself and my family. When people don’t believe in me, I don’t tend to be with them. I tend to do what I’m here to do, what I’m good at. But everybody has their opinion on what they want to do.”
Several teams have made aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks, as they’re more open than ever towards offers between now and the deadline. However, the Bucks aren’t making a rushed decision and are awaiting a complete package to decide Antetokounmpo’s future.
Teams on the Hunt:
New York Knicks
If the Bucks want young players and draft picks, the Knicks have both. Miles McBride is underrated and having a decent season. The Knicks still have valuable first-round swaps to offer in 2030 and 2032. Despite this, they would need to offer another player to even try to get Giannis.
If this deal happens, many factors will have to work in the Knicks’ favor. Take Karl-Anthony Towns, for example. How much do teams value his game enough to pay him super-max money for the next two years, given his deficiencies on defense and his lackluster shooting, especially this season? The Knicks could probably find another team to offer value to, especially since Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are desired for their 3-and-D style of play. However, wouldn’t the Knicks prefer to keep these players for their Giannis-centric team? They also shouldn’t be shackled to the hard cap next season, when they still plan to re-sign Mitchell Robinson and pursue other trades before the deadline or off-season.
Golden State Warriors
The biggest worry from Golden State’s executives stems from their injury-prone star. How much longer can they seriously make Stephen Curry wait? He turns 38 this upcoming March, despite still being one of the 10 best players in the current league. The Warriors also control most of their future first-round draft picks.
Things get tricky whenever the Stepien Rule is instituted, due to Milwaukee lacking 2027 and 2029 picks. The other possibility would be to give the Bucks picks outright in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032, along with a 2031 swap. The Bucks could also nab young talent such as Jonathan Kuminga as an upside, which doesn’t necessarily hurt their roster potential. The matching salary would presumably be Jimmy Butler, coming off of his torn ACL injury.
The Curry-Antetokounmpo fit is the best part of this ordeal. They’d be pairing the deepest 3-point shotmaker in the NBA with the strongest rim-action facilitator. The question is the rest of the Golden State team. The Warriors will need to fix these glaring issues with this huge move, depending on what other assets they could receive from the Bucks.
Miami Heat
Depending on what the Bucks prioritize within getting a trade done, this could be a grand slam for the Heat. Miami not only holds star power but also a roster composed of younger players who bring promise towards that eventual Bucks rebuild.
The centerpiece could potentially be All-Star guard Tyler Herro, who has potential injury concerns. Center Kel’el Ware also is excellent at rebounding, ranking 6th in the NBA in total rebounds this season. Miami’s capital even extends beyond this, with Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Joviċ as possible additions. The Heat also maintain many first-round picks that could support the Bucks moving forward.
Portland Trail Blazers
It’s interesting to consider that when Damian Lillard was forecasted to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, Portland could finally be on the other side of the conversation.
Surprisingly, Portland holds many essential assets that could be valuable to the Bucks, including Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, Scoot Henderson, and Deni Avdija. If I were personally the Trail Blazers, I wouldn’t leave any player unprotected but try to negotiate what assets I could retain. The Trail Blazers also hold many of Milwaukee’s first-round picks, including their 2028, 2030, and 2032. In many scenarios, in a situation where your rebuild doesn’t succeed, Milwaukee should at least retain their personal first-round picks.
