“That’s Not the Right Answer”: Paul Pierce Warns Young Teams Against a Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability on the trade market has the whole NBA buzzing. After all, a two-time former MVP does not show up on the block very often. The thought of having Giannis is an enticing prospect. But that does not mean franchises should give in to greed and pull the plug on their entire future.

There were murmurs of a possible move for Giannis over the summer, but he stayed put. Now that the Bucks have regressed and are showing no signs of improvement, he has reportedly decided that he wants out. The Knicks are being floated as a top contender, and you can already picture him teaming up with Jalen Brunson as their new one-two punch. Miami is another option, and he would slide right into their win-now mindset without missing a beat. No matter where he goes, the reality does not change:

But there is a downside to this as well. Giannis is not a young man anymore. He has a history of injury problems, and according to Brian Windhorst, he has huge guarantees on his future contracts. So whatever team does bring on Giannis must have a win-now mentality.

So when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett discussed potential landing spots for the big guy on the latest edition of KG Certified, there was a lot of contradictory back-and-forth. The Truth initially suggested pairing Giannis with a younger player like Cade Cunningham in Detroit or Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. But then he realized that would not benefit those teams, which should instead be looking at OKC as the true model for building.

“Maybe that’s not the right answer. If I’m looking at the model. The model right now is OKC. They young. If you add Giannis your window is like 4-5 years. OKC got a big window because they got pieces, young, and they got draft picks,” said Pierce. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. OKC is 22-1 and have one of the youngest squads in the NBA. They are going to be tough to beat for at least a decade.

“So if I’m San Antonio, I’m staying young and growing. Right now the time is to stay young. Don’t try to make that move, to say, ‘Alright we going to get a window with Giannis.’ Stay young and grow. OKC, they look like they faster than everybody out there,” added Pierce.

Regardless, someone is going to take that swing on Giannis, and when they do, it’ll officially close the book on his incredible run in Milwaukee. That part is going to feel surreal. The Bucks and the Greek Freak have been tied together since 2013.

But this is where the league stands: teams chasing a tighter window, Giannis chasing a fresh start, and both sides accepting that nothing lasts forever in the NBA. Wherever he lands next, it will mark the beginning of a brand-new chapter and the end of one of the most dominant eras any franchise has ever enjoyed.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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