Everything is larger in Texas. And it’s about to grow. If the San Antonio Spurs are prepared to make a move, Giannis Antetokounmpo should already be on their radar.
After the Spurs were awarded the No. 2 overall choice in the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday evening, the Milwaukee Bucks should have been spamming Spurs front office personnel’s phone lines, attempting to work out a deal with the zeal of a realtor hounding homeowners about selling their home.
Milwaukee is in an intolerable situation, and the best course of action following the draft lottery is to trade the Greek Freak. The draft lottery moved San Antonio ahead of Houston as the front-runner for Antetokounmpo’s successor. The draft lottery may have given the exit plan that both teams required.
The Spurs had the greatest trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. San Antonio’s 38-win season, which did not end in the playoffs due to Victor Wembanyama’s blood clot, resulted in a top-two draft pick.
This was the ideal draft scenario for the Bucks. Houston, Detroit, and Oklahoma City were among the teams with enough interest and assets to make a Greek Freak move. San Antonio was a dark horse, with future draft NPCs and a few supporting talents.
In the short term, San Antonio’s second-round selection is just as important as Dallas’ first-round pick. Nico Harrison might still stick to his “defense wins championships” motto. Trading the first selection for a previous Defensive Player of the Year would solidify his status as a wild card.
If the Spurs had the first pick, you could bank on them to do the right thing and draft Cooper Flagg, ending their interest in Antetokounmpo. The No. 2 pick is more valuable to Milwaukee than San Antonio. Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are excellent potential. However, they do not expect to be trajectory-altering players in the next four years. Antetokounmpo elevates San Antonio’s ceiling to the clouds, swinging their championship window wide open and removing the hinges.
A few weeks ago, the Bucks were set to revert to poverty franchise status. Instead, their reset has a definite direction, and it points to San Antonio.
Milwaukee can instantly begin their rebuild with many picks, the greatest prospect in the draft (not named Cooper Flagg) and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.
Freakonomics described human behavior through economics 20 years ago. Greek Freakonomics can be regarded from the same perspective. Milwaukee has no financial flexibility as long as it pays Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard $100 million per year. Lillard is untradeable while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. They lack the assets required to draft coveted rookies and have traded their assets from the previous decade’s drafts.
The Bucks’ current situation stems from their inability to let go of the past.
This is a critical moment for Jon Horst. He has the higher ground, but can he use it? Greek Freakonomics is a simple formula. Milwaukee cannot afford to tread water. With a transcendent big man at their disposal, RC Buford and Greg Popovich cannot afford to turn down a gift unicorn. They have a rare opportunity to change the league’s power structure. Antetokounmpo’s future may no longer be in Milwaukee. However, with the correct deal, the Bucks will be able to keep their hopes alive.
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