The Milwaukee Bucks and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on the verge of a split this offseason, with many speculating the superstar forward could request a trade after three consecutive first-round playoff defeats.
If Antetokounmpo makes a trade request, practically every NBA team will be lining up to submit their best offer since he could be among the best players to ever enter the open trade market. But some trade locations are more distinctive than others.
The San Antonio Spurs, who surged up in the draft lottery to secure the second-overall pick and bolster their assets in a possible blockbuster trade, have been mentioned as Antetokounmpo’s possible destination.
The Spurs may trade for Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“It’s realistic because the Spurs definitely have the assets to both trade for Giannis and have a contending team on the other side of it,” Windhorst stated. “But I gotta tell you, you have to compute what Giannis may want.”
While matching Antetokounmpo alongside great center Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio would be a dream come true for many, the Bucks’ MVP getting dealt to the Western Conference appears more unlikely. Windhorst lists the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks as two of Antetokounmpo’s primary destinations, indicating that he would remain in the East.
“The move for Giannis, if he has the control, is to go to the East,” stated Windhorst. “You have to consider the teams that could offer Giannis in a trade that the Bucks would accept and that would have a competing team on the other side of the exchange,” I believe. Boston would therefore be on that list. New York, I believe, would be on that list.
Given how much stronger the West is, it makes far more sense for Antetokounmpo to remain in the Eastern Conference, but there must be some interest in playing with a player like Wembanyama.
But that’s also why the Knicks and Celtics would make sense. Antetokounmpo could play with two of the top players in the game, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brunson, in addition to being able to remain in the East. In any case, Antetokounmpo will probably position himself for success.
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