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One of the biggest talking points this NBA offseason will be Giannis Antetokounmpo and a potential trade from the Bucks. Trade talk started to ramp up toward the end of the season, and after a quick playoff exit, the chatter became even louder. It is looking more and more like the Giannis era is coming to an end for the Milwaukee Bucks, but nothing is set in stone. Right now, Giannis is feeling things out.
“For the sake of fairness to Giannis, let’s reiterate one key detail here: He hasn’t asked out yet,” The Athletic's Sam Amick said. “League sources say he has been in fact-finding mode, discussing his situation with trusted confidantes while making it clear that he’s reading the room here. This is not a one-foot-out-the-door situation. Not yet, anyway.”
There have been instances of uncertainty in the past surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, but this time feels different. The ball is in his court.
“From my vantage point, it seems the bread crumbs were laid out in a pretty unmistakable manner these past few years,” Amick continued. “Every time there was a choice to be made about his future, and a contract negotiation tied to it, Horst was able to make the kind of move that, in essence, made his decision for him. That’s just not an option this time around.”
One thing to pay attention to now is the NBA Draft Lottery that went down on Monday night. After trading away Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks stumbled into the #1 pick after having just a 1.8% chance to secure it. The Mavericks can keep the pick and draft Duke star Cooper Flagg, or they could try to use the pick in a trade to land a veteran superstar like Giannis.
“The Dallas Mavericks — somehow — landed the No. 1 pick on Monday night and could now entertain the prospect of putting it on the table for someone of Antetokounmpo’s ilk,” Amick added. “We have previously reported that Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, architect of the Luka Dončić trade, is expected to be in win-now/defense-wins-championships/Nike-superstar mode again this summer. Giannis checks all of those boxes.”
Another team to watch is the Golden State Warriors. Giannis and Stephen Curry are represented by the same agency, and Giannis made an appearance at a party thrown by Curry during All-Star weekend.
“Antetokounmpo, who has been known to be a dream target of the Warriors for a long time, made a late-night appearance at Curry’s party in San Francisco during All-Star weekend,” Amick said. “…Giannis and Steph, it should be noted, are both represented by the same Octagon agency. Still, it was a Warriors-centric event with one notable, and very large, exception. And while Golden State is deeply invested in its Jimmy Butler era at the moment, the reality about a player like Antetokounmpo is that his greatness could compel nearly every owner and GM in the league to adjust their plan.”
The Mavericks and Warriors seem like two attractive destinations for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
