The NBA is officially in its offseason, and the organizations are potentially making big moves before this Wednesday’s Draft. One trade story that could get settled soon is that of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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The Greek Freak has been rumored to be leaving Milwaukee ever since his Bucks got eliminated in the first round of the postseason by the Indiana Pacers. But where could the 2021 NBA champion go?
Plenty of spots are available, but Pardon The Interruption’s Michael Wilbon has a pretty good idea for which teams it would make the most sense to go after the 30-year-old superstar.
“To me, sense means you have the assets enough to trade for Giannis, but you also have enough left to put on the floor and have him be a contender once you get him. Not many teams have that,” said Wilbon.
The TV personality then made a pretty strong pitch for one particular Texas-based team, the San Antonio Spurs.
“They’ve got the No. 2 and No. 14 picks in the upcoming draft. So not only do you have the 2 and 14, but if you’re in Milwaukee, you’ll gotta say, ‘Wait a minute, I’m not just getting picks, I need two players’,” said the analyst.
Wilbon has clearly done his homework, because he then revealed the players the Spurs could give the Bucks, along with their draft picks. Who are they?
“You have Devin Vassell, you have Keldon Johnson, two guys whose salaries would offset Giannis’s and help you do that,” said Wilbon. If this scenario plays out, the Bucks will get a good amount of collateral, and the Spurs still have enough to play a full, dominant squad.
“If you’re San Antonio, when you get Giannis, you’ve got [De’Aaron] Fox, [Stephon] Castle, [Jeremy] Sochan, [Harrison] Barnes, and [Victor] Wembanyama,” stated Wilbon with excitement. “You’ve got a complete team you can put out there. So Milwaukee is not feeling they’ve been taken advantage of.”
The NBA is at its most exciting when the league shakes things up and presents different teams with the opportunity to make a run. The Spurs have had a tough year with the blood clot that ended Wembanyama’s season and the health scare of Gregg Popovich. So this could be the resurgence they need.
However, this would hinge on whether Giannis wants to leave the Bucks in the first place. Talks of him departing Milwaukee have cooled down over the last month, and despite reports surfacing stating that he had an “interest” in exploring trade talks, it doesn’t mean he’s ready to commit to them.
Also, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has already denied that the Greek Freak wanted to leave, dropping a nail on that rumor during a recent appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast.
“It’s so ridiculous, and you hear all of this stuff. You don’t like it when you hear it because you know it’s not true… I don’t know how many more times Giannis has to say he wants to be a Buck,” Rivers had said.
Of course, anything could happen before the start of the 2025-2026 season. No one expected Luka Doncic to ever leave the Dallas Mavericks, but The Don was dealt to the Lakers in a blockbuster trade right after the All-Star break.
Giannis changing his uniform would not take away from the great things he has accomplished in Milwaukee. He turned that small-market team into a powerhouse and brought them a title. Many assumed he would have more, but the NBA is so vastly competitive that building a dynasty just seems hard for any team these days.
We’ll see what happens after the NBA Draft, but with all signs now pointing to Giannis remaining in the Midwest, Wilbon’s beautiful trade scenario may just end up being fantasy.
