Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spots: Trade partners for Bucks as deadline nears
Now more than ever, it’s a near inevitability that Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are nearing the end of their relationship.
It may come before the Thursday, Feb. 5 trading deadline, or it may come in the offseason, but Antetokounmpo has reportedly indicated that he’s ready to move on from the Bucks. Milwaukee, understandably, has started to listen to offers and may consider shipping the two-time Most Valuable Player before the deadline.
Yet, even if a deal cannot be reached by then, the Bucks could still move Antetokounmpo over the offseason, when suitors would have more financial flexibility and draft capital available to package in an offer.
With that said, which teams can actually present compelling cases to land the versatile star?
Here are potential landing spots for Giannis Antetokounmpo:
This is an option that has come on strong over the past few days. The Bulls have been caught somewhere between trying to contend in the East but coming up short and showing hesitation to fully rebuild. A trade for Antetokounmpo would indicate Chicago is going all-in.
The Bulls, however, have a mix of young players and draft capital. Chicago can package several first-round picks and pick swaps over the next few drafts, so the question will come down to how Milwaukee views Chicago’s players. Point guard Josh Giddey (23) and shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu (26) are the most appealing trade chips, but the Bulls will also probably try to unload guard Coby White (25) or center Zach Collins (28).
As with any team that would be looking to swing a deal, it would be hard to part with these high-value assets unless Antetokounmpo would commit to his new franchise for the long-term. Chicago is close to Milwaukee, and that might provide some comfort for Antetokounmpo.
This is going to depend on what the Bucks are actually prioritizing in a return, but the Heat may have a compelling case. Miami has more depth than star power and it has some younger players with promise who could be part of a Bucks rebuild.
The centerpiece would be 2024-25 All-Star guard Tyler Herro (26 years old), who has had injury concerns, but who has been a steady scoring threat when on the floor. Second-year center Kel’el Ware (21) is another intriguing player who has excellent rebounding ability; Ware ranks seventh in the NBA in rebounds this season (435), despite playing considerably fewer minutes than the players ahead of him. Ware has had motor concerns, but he’s an excellent lob threat and can stretch the floor with shooting range.
Miami can also offer a combination of Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24), Pelle Larsson (24), Nikola Jović (22), Kasparas Jakučionis (19) and two first-round draft picks. And, if Miami can move Andrew Wiggins (perhaps to the Lakers, say), the Heat could potentially recoup another pick to package in an Antetokounmpo deal.
Whereas Miami has a blend of talent and draft capital, the Warriors have an abundance of picks. Golden State can trade up to four first-round draft picks, but it lacks young and promising players that might entice the Bucks. Jonathan Kuminga is the lone piece in that equation, and — even then — he has been inconsistent and has frequently played himself out of Steve Kerr’s rotation.
In fact, just to make the salaries work, Golden State would need to include costly veterans like Draymond Green (turns 36 in early March) or Jimmy Butler (36; torn anterior cruciate ligament). For a team that would be looking to rebuild, those are simply not exciting options. For Milwaukee to like this deal, it would need to think that the post-Stephen Curry years would lead to lean seasons, and therefore more desirable draft picks. It might be hard, however, for Bucks general manager Jon Horst to justify a trade that ships Antetokounmpo if there’s no promising young player attached to it.
Reportedly, Minnesota is being aggressive in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, but it may lack the draft capital to pull it off. All of which means the Timberwolves would need to include a third or fourth team to execute the deal.
What they do have is early- and mid-career players who may tempt Milwaukee. Jaden McDaniels (25), Terrence Shannon Jr. (25), Rob Dillingham (21) and Joan Beringer (19) are the young pieces. But, given that the Timberwolves would need to involve another team(s?), veterans like Julius Randle and Naz Reid could potentially need to be involved.
The Bucks would certainly listen, but there’s no question this doesn’t get done unless other teams reroute first-round draft picks toward Milwaukee.
This had reportedly been Antetokounmpo’s preferred landing spot, given its market size, ability to compete for championships and proximity to international airports that can get him to his native Greece with relative ease.
And while the Knicks do have some interesting assets that could entice the Bucks, New York doesn’t have draft capital or young players with promise.
For one, the easy assumption is that forward-center Karl-Anthony Towns would be a seamless swap, but Milwaukee just signed center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract that keeps him with the Bucks through the 2027-28 season, with a player option for the following year.
Turner and Towns have similar skill sets, and Towns feels like a redundancy in Milwaukee. The Bucks are probably more intrigued by wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, with whom New York might be less willing to part. The Knicks would almost certainly require the addition of a third or fourth team to facilitate the deal.
The Bucks reportedly prefer younger talent and draft capital, neither of which the Knicks necessarily have, at least right now. Towns is 30, Bridges 29, Anunoby 28. Backup point guard Miles McBride is 25, but he would need to be a secondary piece in any deal. For this to work, the Knicks would need to get creative in finding ways to sweeten their package.
Either way, an ESPN report Monday, Feb. 2 indicated that the Knicks aren’t aggressively pursuing Antetokounmpo and like their core. An alternative read of this report is that New York may be trying to preserve optics if it received an indication that the Bucks didn’t express interest in their package.
This looks like another interesting spot because the Hawks do have a balance of both young talent and draft capital. For one, the Hawks already own a massively valuable draft pick, an unprotected 2026 first-rounder that’s the most favorable between the Pelicans and the Bucks. New Orleans currently has the NBA’s third-worst winning percentage and the Bucks are 18-27. There’s a high likelihood that this pick will be a high lottery selection.
The Hawks may not want to part with that selection, but Atlanta nonetheless has plenty of draft capital and swaps it can offer.
The Bucks, though, may want to get talented forward Jalen Johnson in return. The Hawks have built their team around Johnson and may not make him available. That would complicate things, as Zaccharie Risacher, rookie Asa Newell and Luke Kennard likely won’t be enough to sway Milwaukee.
The field
Could the Phoenix Suns be a player in a package led by Jalen Green, a dynamic but inconsistent athlete who has played just four games this year? Could the Cleveland Cavaliers feel they need to make a drastic shift to contend, potentially packaging Evan Mobley in a deal? Could the Dallas Mavericks send veterans like Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson to Milwaukee? What about a young team like the Washington Wizards, who have more young players than veterans?
What about teams that are already contenders like the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs? Could they tear up their current (and successful) builds for a push to compete? This seems less likely.
There’s always the possibility of the infamous mystery team that could be lurking. The reality is, of the 29 teams in the NBA aside from the Bucks, all but one or two of them are probably discussing if there’s a viable path to get him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spots, best Bucks trade partners
