“Giannis Is the Trade Deadline”: Brian Windhorst Talks About Bucks Star’s Impact

Sometimes a trade in the NBA comes out of nowhere, like last year when the Lakers and Mavs shocked the world with the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis deal. Other times, the ‘will they, won’t they’ gets dragged out interminably, until it reaches a point where everyone just wants it to happen so we can all move on with our lives. That’s where we’re at with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis was the main character of this past offseason, as the possibility was bandied about that he would request a trade off of the only NBA team he’s ever known. That never came to pass, but it also didn’t go away. In recent days, it’s only intensified, as the Bucks have gotten whacked in four of their last five games as Giannis is clearly miserable with the state of things.

The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, so get ready for another edition of Giannis Watch. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, that’s not only the main event of this trade deadline, it’s the only thing worth watching.

On an appearance on Get Up this morning, Windhorst said, “Giannis is the trade deadline. There is really not a lot of other players out there that can move the needle. There is very small to no market for Ja Morant or Anthony Davis. The entire league is watching Giannis.”

As is often the case, one big domino can set off a chain reaction if it falls. If Giannis does leave Milwaukee behind, it could have far-reaching implications across the league, Windy said.

“If Giannis ends up coming to market, yes you would have a handful of teams making offers, but I think if he were to be traded, it would affect three, four, five teams, because there would be ancillary trades … All of these front offices that I’m talking to are sitting on the sideline watching it,” he continued.

“If it goes forward in the next two weeks, you will see a flurry of activity and potentially a changing of the balance of power in the league. If it does not happen, I think some of it or a lot of it gets put off until the summer, when I think Giannis will have to deal with the situation again,” Windhorst added.

Giannis is certainly the type of player who can swing title odds if he ends up moving. He’s one of the very best players in the league, but while several teams seem to be keeping their powder dry for him, they’re conveniently ignoring the fact that he probably already has a team in mind that he wants to go to.

If Giannis makes it clear that he wants to be, say, with the Knicks, then it doesn’t matter if the Warriors or Heat or anyone else can make a better offer. Teams won’t mortgage their future for a guy who wants to be somewhere else, and make no mistake, it will take a huge offer to land the two-time MVP.

If Giannis does get traded, Windy is probably right that it will set off a series of moves elsewhere. Let’s say the Knicks get him. That probably means that the Pistons, Celtics and other Eastern Conference contenders also make moves to better themselves and keep up, even if those moves will be on a smaller scale.

The trade deadline is February 5th, so until then, NBA fans will be waiting with bated breath to see either the conclusion to the Giannis drama, or a big ‘To Be Continued.’