As days pass, suspense continues to build regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. Will he stay in Cream City, or will the Bucks trade him away? Former Milwaukee star Ray Allen provides insight on The Greek Freak’s situation while recalling his own blockbuster trade.
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Multiple teams have shown interest in potentially acquiring Antetokounmpo. One of the most notable is the New York Knicks. Their pursuit of Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, to fill their coaching vacancy, fueled the Giannis rumors even more.
Kidd coached Antetokounmpo early in his career. The two became incredibly close, with Giannis crediting Kidd for his development on multiple occasions. If the Knicks were to acquire Kidd, he could potentially persuade Giannis to ask for a trade.
That is purely hypothetical, as Kidd isn’t leaving Dallas anytime soon. Regardless, the rumors persist. Allen doesn’t believe Antetokounmpo has as much power as some suspect.
“I think it’s going to come down to the best deal that Milwaukee sees necessary for him to leave Milwaukee,” Allen said. “They really want to get something for him, so it will depend on what that looks like.”
As things stand, it doesn’t seem likely that any team will offer the Bucks a package that justifies trading the two-time MVP. However, Allen believed he was in a similar boat while a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. His blockbuster trade to the Boston Celtics changed his entire perspective.
“I seen the proposed trade, and Boston’s giving up six players. I’m like, ‘I’m so out of here. Seattle is taking that easily,'” Allen revealed.
The full details of the trade dwindled that number down to three players. Seattle received Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the fifth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, which became Jeff Green.
That return met the needs of the SuperSonics, who were looking to begin a rebuild. The Bucks aren’t restructuring, though, partly because they do not have any first-round draft picks for the near future.
The front office’s opinion could certainly change. The Luka Doncic trade taught the NBA world to expect the unexpected. Once the 2025 NBA Finals conclude, answers regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future will begin to reveal themselves.
