Giannis Antetokounmpo proved to the world he’s still one of the best players in the NBA last night with 59 points and 14 rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks OT win over the Detroit Pistons. His heroic night allowed the Bucks to improve their record to 4-8, but the franchise looks well adrift of the competitive pack even in a weak East.
Even if the Bucks maximize the sum of its parts, they don’t look competitive enough to challenge teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers right now.
With almost all draft assets until 2030 mortgaged in a bid to build a better core around Giannis right now, the Bucks find themselves in a situation where their franchise could be crippled for the rest of the decade without any paths to get better in the short term. Trading Giannis away before he starts regressing is their best path to rebuilding and acquiring a chunk of future assets right now.
Giannis would interest almost every team with assets in the NBA, but which destination among three potential contenders like the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and OKC Thunder would be best for the Bucks? Let’s find out.
Golden State Warriors
Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, 2025 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2027 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2029 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (ATL)
Golden State Warriors Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Tyler Smith
The Golden State Warriors have been knocking down doors around the NBA to acquire a co-star for Stephen Curry in the twilight of his career. Curry is still performing at an All-NBA level and the Warriors would become terrifying to face if they added a two-way demon like Giannis next to him. But a trade would be complicated, as the Warriors need to match the Bucks’ salary for salary as well as player for player due to Milwaukee’s status as a second-apron team.
Giannis ($48,787,676) is averaging 33.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists this season and would revolutionize the Warriors as a genuine inside presence on offense with All-Defensive production. He is also a competent playmaker and could be a passing hub which further allows Steph to dominate off-ball.
But to get Giannis on the Warriors, they’ll have to part with 2022 Champions Andrew Wiggins ($26,276,786) and Jonathan Kuminga ($7,636,307), along with prized young asset Brandin Podziemski ($3,519,960) and summer signing De’Anthony Melton ($12,822,000).
Wiggins is having a solid season so far, averaging 14.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, while Kuminga has thrived in a sixth-man role, averaging 14.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. Melton has been a solid signing for the franchise, averaging 10.3 points while Podziemski’s box score impact has been minimal with 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds this season.
The Bucks receive these talented players for Giannis and assorted young role players who aren’t in their rotation, alongside three first-round picks and two second-round picks. It’s a hard offer to turn down and is probably the best the Warriors can offer for a player of Giannis’ stature.
Houston Rockets
Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, 2026 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2027 First-Round Pick (PHX), 2027 First-Round Pick (BKN), 2028 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2031 Second-Round Pick (HOU)
Houston Rockets Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Andre Jackson Jr.
The Houston Rockets have finally inculcated a winning culture in their franchise with Ime Udoka as the head coach. They’re already looking like a Playoff-caliber team through the start of the season, but very few would give them a chance of making a deep Playoff run. Going all-in and acquiring Giannis would elevate the Rockets to the next level and give them a chance to start contending for championships again.
Due to Giannis’ salary and the Bucks’ status as a second-apron team, the Rockets would also need to engineer a trade where they receive four Bucks players to make this work. The players they are sending out in this mock trade include the salary-fillers of Dillon Brooks ($22,255,493) and Steven Adams ($12,600,000), alongside highly touted young stars Reed Sheppard ($10,098,960) and Jabari Smith Jr ($9,770,880).
The Rockets guard rotation doesn’t have space for Sheppard to receive regular minutes despite the guard being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s Draft. He would quickly become the centerpiece of a Bucks rebuild and have the space to thrive with his offensive skillset on full display.
Jabari Smith Jr. was the third pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and is averaging 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds this season. His impact is greater than what the box score would say, as his offensive limitations are made up for with great all-around defense across multiple positions.
This deal would net the Bucks two future All-Stars along with four first-round picks, two of them from the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, making this a very enticing overall package.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams, Nikola Topic, 2025 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2026 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2027 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2029 First-Round Pick (DEN)
OKC Thunder Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Tyler Smith
The Oklahoma City Thunder would create arguably the scariest team in the NBA if they could be the ones to land Giannis as the final piece of their rebuild. They’ve already done a terrific job in building up Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into playing a team-oriented style of basketball which Giannis would fit into.
Due to Giannis’ salary, as seen in previous offers as well, the Thunder have no choice but to offer players like Isaiah Hartenstein ($30,000,000), Isaiah Joe ($12,991,650), and Aaron Wiggins ($10,514,017) in this deal. All three players signed contracts with OKC this summer, so a potential deal can’t be executed until December 15 due to trade restrictions.
Nikola Topic ($4,935,960) would be the most intriguing returning prospect for the Bucks as a big point guard with high potential, although he’s ruled out of this season after suffering an ACL tear during the offseason.
Hartenstein is also yet to suit up for the Bucks, though Joe is averaging 9.1 points while Wiggins is averaging 10.2 points and 4.1 rebounds. Jaylin Williams ($2,019,699) is also yet to play this season due to injury.
This deal would transform OKC into title favorites while giving the Bucks four future picks, including two picks from the Denver Nuggets who might be past their best with an aging roster.
Which Offer Should The Bucks Accept?
In my opinion, the trade opportunities with the Houston Rockets might have the greatest potential due to the still-in-flux nature of their roster. They’re identifying the stars who will have a long-term future with the franchise, with trade conversations possibly leading to the acquisition of other good prospects such as Amen Thompson or Cam Whitmore.
If the Bucks want a readymade player, they could even agitate for the acquisition of Jalen Green in this deal, but the Rockets would ideally want a perimeter scorer like him paired up with Giannis instead of as outgoing salary. The picks that Houston offers also have incredible potential, especially the picks from the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets.
This is possibly the least win-now destination out of these three, but the Bucks have to prioritize their franchise needs as well. Giannis’ addition would make the Rockets formidable if the young players continue to develop, as compared to the Thunder and Warriors having set co-stars for Giannis to join and contend with.
Nonetheless, the Rockets’ offer would be hard to beat, especially with the Thunder not including either Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren, which would rank them third out of these three. The Warriors have the second-best package, mainly because Kuminga and Podziemski aren’t the same caliber of young talent that many perceive Sheppard and Jabari to be.
It is just a matter of time before any of these three teams will send an official offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. It will be very interesting to see what decision the Bucks will make and whether should they listen to their franchise star or it will be just a business for the team and try to get as many assets as they can.
It is just a matter of time before one of these three teams send an official offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. It will be interesting to see what decision the Bucks will make. Whether they listen to their franchise star’s wishes or make a business decision for the team to get as many assets as they can will be the key factor in such a decision.
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