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All reports are pointing to the strong likelihood that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be staying with the Milwaukee Bucks despite all the rumors suggesting that he could ask for a trade soon after taking into consideration his team's bleak future outlook. The Bucks are not likely to contend in the next few seasons, especially in the aftermath of Damian Lillard's torn Achilles that renders such a huge percentage of the Bucks' cap space as dead weight, at least for the meantime.
Nonetheless, for the San Antonio Spurs, it looks as though they are setting their sights on acquiring the biggest star player possible. They are being linked to Kevin Durant for the meantime, with Durant even reportedly having the Spurs as his preferred landing spot in any trade. However, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Spurs are looking to acquire a star that better fits their timeline, and with Durant being 37 years old at the start of next season, it doesn't look as though he fits the bill.
Antetokounmpo, however, is only 30 years of age and remains one of the most dominant players in the NBA. Bringing him in would vault the Spurs to one of the biggest contending teams in the league. And ESPN has an idea regarding the kind of package the Spurs could dangle to the Bucks in hopes of acquiring the former league MVP.
ESPN's hypothetical Giannis Antetokounmpo Spurs-Bucks trade
Spurs trade: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, 2025 first-round pick (No. 2), 2026 first-round pick (better of Atlanta and San Antonio), 2028 first-round pick (better of Boston and San Antonio), 2030 first-round pick (better of Dallas, Minnesota and San Antonio), and 2031 first-round swap (Milwaukee's for better of Sacramento's and San Antonio)
Bucks trade: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Spurs should do this in a heartbeat
It may not be the best idea for a young, up-and-coming team to rush the process of building a sustainable contender. The Oklahoma City Thunder showed that having a foundational star and building around him via the draft is an incredible way to build a championship-level team that can compete for not just one title, but multiple rings down the line.
And OKC is in the most enviable roster-building spot in the NBA at the moment, as they also have the draft capital to replenish the team's supporting cast with young talent on rookie contracts when their role players inevitably command much more expensive contracts.
However, stars of Antetokounmpo's caliber rarely become available, and it's not like the Spurs are going to trade those assets for an over-the-hill superstar. Antetokounmpo was an MVP-caliber player this past season, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, and a core trio of him, Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox would be quite the unstoppable force.
Moreover, this trade is not forcing the Spurs to give up Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, which means that the aforementioned All-Star trio will be surrounded by two stout defenders and capable scorers who are on the rise. San Antonio also retains the 14th overall pick in this scenario, which they could use to draft another role player.
Giving up five draft picks is not too egregious especially after considering just how much players go for these days on the trade market. Desmond Bane commanded four first-round picks and a pick swap, while acquiring Mikal Bridges required the New York Knicks to trade away six first-round picks.
In this scenario, the Spurs aren't even giving up their first-round picks completely. For those years, they will have another first-round pick; such is the luxury of having so many draft assets at their disposal. Sure, they are giving up rights to the best draft pick they could possibly get in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2031, but having another draft pick for those seasons means that they can also add the requisite young talent needed to contend sustainably in today's stringent CBA landscape.
The biggest loss in this hypothetical for the Spurs is the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Many believe that they will use that pick to select Dylan Harper, and Harper projects to be a dynamic scoring point guard who, at 6'6″, has the size to be a menace on the defensive end as well.
But drafting another guard isn't exactly what the Spurs need. They have Castle and Fox already. This does not mean that they should pass up on the best available talent should they keep the pick. But if the result of giving up on the pick is bringing in Antetokounmpo, then it's not exactly the end of the world for San Antonio.
Keldon Johnson is a fan favorite, but including his salary in the trade is necessary, especially with the exclusion of Vassell. Harrison Barnes was helpful this past season, but he was always meant to be nothing more than a stopgap option at the forward spots.
Jeremy Sochan has the characteristics of a winning player and a major contributor on a title-contending squad, thanks to his defense, passing, and positional versatility. But Sochan projects to be nothing more than a high-level role player, and it's always going to be worth trading him if Antetokounmpo is the prize.
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If the Bucks are somehow convinced to trade Antetokounmpo to the Spurs for this package, then this is a no-brainer.
Grade: A+
Bucks can hold out for something better from the Spurs
Antetokounmpo is an all-time great, a future Hall of Famer who is still at the top of his game. He may be turning 31 years of age in December, but he's still right in the middle of his prime and has shown in the past that he can lead a team to the championship promised land, as long as he has the right pieces around him.
The Bucks, simply put, do not have the right pieces around him. The Spurs do, especially in this hypothetical scenario. But that doesn't mean that the Bucks should simply allow other teams to push them around in Antetokounmpo trade talks.
For starters, Antetokounmpo is still under contract for at least two more seasons (with a player option for the 2027-28 season). This means that the Bucks shouldn't rush any Antetokounmpo trade decision.
Moreover, Antetokounmpo is a dominant 30-10-6 force who remains at the top of his game, and the best assets the Bucks can get are the second overall pick (presumably Dylan Harper, who has no guarantees of becoming a star in this league) and Sochan? Those draft picks are nice, but are the bare minimum in any trade involving a star like Antetokounmpo.
For a 34-year-old Durant, the Brooklyn Nets were able to get four first-round picks, one pick swap, as well as two legitimate high-quality role players who are better than Sochan is at the moment (Bridges and Cam Johnson). The Nets were able to turn Bridges into a boatload of picks, even, making it a total of 10 first-round picks acquired in exchange for Durant.
The Anthony Davis trade in 2019 is also a good blueprint the Bucks could follow in any Antetokounmpo trade. Davis was able to command a return including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks. Simply put, when trading a top-five or top-10 player in the NBA, the bare minimum return is an incredible player on a rookie-scale contract, a few more talented young players, as well as a ton of first-rounders.
This Spurs package in ESPN's hypothetical simply does not have enough in the way of young players. Again, Sochan is nice, and (presumably) Harper would be a potential franchise cornerstone for the Bucks, but Milwaukee is well within their rights if they ask for one of Castle or Vassell.
The addition of one of those players would make this a huge win for the Bucks, although it has to be mentioned that they shouldn't trade Antetokounmpo anyway unless he asks out. But the ESPN package did not include either of them, making it a tough offer for the Bucks to accept.
Grade: C
