The Brooklyn Nets have their eyes on Giannis Antetokounmpo should he demand a trade. Marc Stein reported on his Substack that the Nets are waiting one day for Antetokounmpo to ask out of the Milwaukee Bucks. But he did stress that any such trade request hasn’t come yet, and this partnership will only be possible should Antetokounmpo decide his time with the franchise has come to an end.
“Reminder: Someday depends on Antetokounmpo pushing the Bucks to trade him. Something he has shown no known inclination to do. There remains zero expectation that the Bucks would even consider the notion of trading Antetokounmpo unless he pushed for it.”
The Nets are clearly in a rebuild right now and want to land a star player to shepherd their team in the future as they look to build a contender once again. And Antetokounmpo is just 30 years old and has at least four years playing at a top level left in him, which the Nets are hoping could be with them.
We pitched a mock trade for Giannis to join the Nets a few months ago when the Bucks were struggling to start the season. But since then, Doc Rivers seems to have figured it out and helped the team get into a good run of form that led to them winning the NBA Cup.
Antetokounmpo, on numerous occasions, has made it clear to the Bucks that he always wants to compete for a championship. And if the Bucks are not capable of building a contender around him, he will not hesitate to demand a trade and move to a team that can accommodate him and his ambitions.
For now, the Bucks can rest assured that Antetokounmpo hasn’t demanded a trade, and is unlikely to do one in the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline. But a collapse in the playoffs this season could force Giannis’ hand and help the Nets get a window to make a move.
Can The Bucks Make A Title Push This Season?
The Bucks are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-17. They started the season disastrously but were able to regain their form en route to the NBA Cup. But since then, the Bucks seemed to have settled into a positive, albeit slightly inconsistent routine.
On paper, the Bucks have one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference and can compete for an NBA championship. But their performances on the court leave a lot to be desired. At this point, it is hard to see them putting up a strong fight against teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and even the Knicks in the East.
On top of that, Doc Rivers’ cataclysmic record in the playoffs, pretty much since 2008 suggests that he isn’t the man that can shepherd the team to championship success. Despite coaching multiple contender-level teams since 2008, he has reached just one NBA Finals and three Conference Finals since then.
Giannis is averaging 31.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.8% from the field, 17.4% from deep, and 58.5% from the free-throw line. But if the Bucks can’t get their act together, all his great performances will be wasted come the end of the season, and he could ask out.
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