The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping to save their franchise by making the right trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. Despite winning two MVPs and one NBA Championship during his Milwaukee tenure, things have reached the point where change is needed. Giannis and the Bucks have clashed over the past year as it becomes more apparent the franchise won’t contend for an NBA Championship any time soon.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that only three teams still have realistic hopes to acquire Antetokounmpo after discussions leading up this weekend:
“Right now, the three teams you hear about most are the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat. All of them have very interesting reasons for pursuing a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For Boston, he would be the best player they could pair with Jayson Tatum during his prime. For Miami, he’d team up with Bam Adebayo. That’s a perfect frontcourt pairing, and it’s the star they’ve needed for a long time.”
And for Minnesota, you have Anthony Edwards, who has had playoff success but hasn’t gotten over the hump. When you have a superstar of that caliber in his 20s, the clock is always ticking.”
Shelburne detailed why the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Minnesota Timberwolves all badly want Giannis. Each team is trying to put together the right package to add a former MVP to their roster as the missing piece for title contention.
Minnesota Has Fallen Below East Teams
Minnesota is an exciting option for Antetokounmpo, but NBA insider Jake Fischer recently shared that the Bucks’ asking price is too unrealistic for them. The best talent that the Timberwolves can offer would be Jaden McDaniels and some questionable younger talents yet to prove much.
Boston and Miami reportedly have much better chances as the two leading options. Miami has been linked to Giannis since trade rumors started last offseason and always get mentioned by insiders for their strong desire to add him as their next superstar.
The Celtics have the best player to trade in Jaylen Brown, but they lack many other assets to make it an easy trade. A third team is likely needed to add more draft picks and younger talents to appease what Milwaukee wants from such a franchise changing trade.
Expect A Giannis Trade This Week
The timing of the upcoming Giannis trade will determine if any other franchises hold a chance. Most reports have indicated that Milwaukee wants to pull off a trade before Tuesday’s NBA Draft to make sure they add a lottery pick this year.
However, that implies that either Miami or Boston will be the team that trades for him as the only two teams with framework close to a deal Milwaukee wants. If this lingers on past the deadline, the trade market could become unpredictable.
Dark horse teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers or Golden State Warriors could enter the trade talks, as rumored in the past based on their interest. The Giannis drama has been a major NBA story, and it will either end by Tuesday or get even more unpredictable moving forward.
Only Three Teams Still Alive In Giannis Trade Sweepstakes