As Shams Charania reported on ESPN earlier this week, Giannis Antetokounmpo is happy in Milwaukee but he loves winning more. Bottom line? He’ll only stay with the Bucks long-term if he feels like they’re a team that’s built to win long-term. If he loses confidence in their ability to do that, Giannis might demand a trade.
We’ll see how the Greek Freak and Damian Lillard gel with Kyle Kuzma and company the rest of the season (which just got a little tougher with Bobby Portis Jr.’s 25 game suspension).
But if Luka Dončić can get traded from the franchise that drafted him, no one is safe.
Shams elaborated that Giannis is looking for “sustained, long-term winning” from the Bucks, and “if he feels like that is not attainable anymore in Milwaukee, he will look elsewhere.”
.@ShamsCharania provides the latest intel on Giannis and his future with the Bucks
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— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 20, 2025
So it’s fair to start thinking about potential Giannis landing spots if and when he’s traded.
It’s hard to imagine Giannis going to another small or mid-market team.
He’s a global superstar now. And an NBA champion. Plus, he’s got his own Disney+ biopic!
All this makes LA or NYC feel like the most natural trade destination for Giannis.
Let’s see how far the Knicks make it this year with their new core. If they underperform, it might be worth selling the farm to pair Giannis with Jalen Brunson for the foreseeable future.
As for LA, it doesn’t seem feasible for the Lakers to pull off another superstar blockbuster move at this point, but what about the Clippers?
They’ve got two aging stars in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and could use a fresh face lift to go with their glitzy new arena. They’ve got a lot of solid role players too.
Building the team around a superstar like Giannis could give the Clippers a whole new identity.
One other dark horse candidate? A team that is one piece away, like the Houston Rockets. Imagine Giannis leading a young, talented nucleus in Texas. That could make for an epic rivalry with OKC for years to come.
Or maybe the Bucks will get hot, win it all this year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay put. Time will tell. In the meantime, let the juicy trade rumors fly.
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