Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks failed to live up to expectations this season, getting wrecked in the second round by an inferior Miami team.
With one season left under Giannis’ belt and no guarantee he’ll return when his contract expires next summer, it is more than fair to say the Bucks can’t afford another season like the 2019-20 campaign.
So, with their backs against the wall, why not put all their chips on the table in the pursuit of another star?
In a sea of potential names, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested one particular scenario that could result in Milwaukee landing 2018 NBA MVP James Harden.
“The three-time scoring champion is a point-producing machine like we haven’t seen since Michael Jordan,” Buckley wrote. “Like Antetokounmpo, Harden has come close to leading a championship charge but hasn’t reached the Finals since handling sixth-man duties for the 2011-12 Thunder. Pair Harden with Antetokounmpo, though, and the Bucks have the NBA’s best scorer and its most disruptive defender. Not to mention, these two could be magical pick-and-roll partners. Each has an incredible gravitational pull on defenders, and neither could be crowded when they both share the floor.”
Buckley has the Rockets giving up Harden for a return of Jarrett Culver, Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, James Johnson, and three future first-round picks. The third team (Minnesota) would receive Khris Middleton and a second.
In Houston, the deal would essentially launch a rebuild with several players and draft picks. If they find trades for their other starters (Russell Westbrook, Robert Covington, Eric Gordon) it should put them in a good position to build a solid young team.
For Minnesota, the acquisition of Middleton gives them a solid two-way player to put beside Towns and D’Angelo Russell.
It’s a pretty interesting deal and one that would see the Bucks become a pretty lethal powerhouse in the East. But it will all hinge on the future of James Harden, and if the Rockets are ready or willing to give him up.
