5 possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destinations if he asks out

5 possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destinations if he asks out

In case you may have missed it, but for the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo is seriously considering his future beyond the Milwaukee Bucks. That doesn’t mean he requested a trade nor does it mean he’s automatically going to get moved, but the two-time MVP is exploring the market. What are five possible destinations? Let’s examine!

San Antonio Spurs:

The San Antonio Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox in February and still have practically all their ammo available to take a big swing. Would Milwaukee be interested in any combination of Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie or Malaki Branham? Would Stephon Castle be on the table?

We know Antetokounmpo won’t come cheap, but I think they’re becoming more urgent to win with Victor Wembanyama, even though he’ll only be entering his age-22 season next year. You acquire Fox and Antetokounmpo for the rest of their primes and figure it out from there.

Oklahoma City Thunder:

As long as a star becomes available, I’m including the Thunder in the mix because of the over-abundance of draft capital and players they could parlay into something bigger. If they come short of winning an NBA Title, would they finally consolidate for a star? It has to be on the table.

Antetokounmpo isn’t the perfect fit with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but he fits the defensive identity they have formed. I think Oklahoma City needs an extra high-volume shooter or two (Cam Johnson), but that can be a problem they address (without much of a dent into their draft capital) if they land Antetokounmpo.

Cleveland Cavaliers:

The Cavaliers are on the brink of being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second-straight season–this one coming on the heels of being the East’s No. 1 seed. They have to capitalize on this 2-3-year window they have built for themselves.

Antetokounmpo may be the swing worth taking–likely coming at the expense of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, two players who were rumored to be on their way out at this time last year. Should they acquire Antetokounmpo, the Cavaliers will need to add a true point guard and quality (tougher) depth.

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Houston Rockets:

I think Houston should be in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes at a cheaper price, but it’s perfectly understandable if they want to mesh his timeline with theirs as opposed to Antetokounmpo, who’s clearly the better player. The Rockets have a litany of draft picks–including three of the Suns’ picks (’25, ’27, ’29)–plus a slew of solid assets in Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, among others. Milwaukee is devoid of young talent, so a combination of their youth plus draft picks may be enough to convince Jon Horst.

Indiana Pacers:

Here’s my wildcard. I have no idea if the Pacers actually entertain this (even less so than the other aforementioned organizations) nor do I know if Milwaukee wants to trade with the team that’s eliminated them in back-to-back seasons. However, should the Pacers advance past Cleveland but lose to either New York or Boston in the East Finals, are they more enticed to try and take that next step? I think it’s possible.

Indiana should do its due diligence regardless, but I’m curious to see how enticed Milwaukee is by, say, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and stuff? Both teams are under the first apron, making a two-team trade easier to pull off. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Just missed the cut: Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic

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