Should the Milwaukee Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer?
The Bucks aren’t going in a positive direction as a franchise at the moment, and most people think Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles means Milwaukee should blow everything up and trade Giannis for a haul of young talent and top-of-the-line first-round draft capital.
A complete and immediate rebuild, if you will.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed a deal sending Giannis to the Rockets in the style of the above directive.
The Trade
Rockets receive…
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive…
- Jalen Green
- Jabari Smith Jr.
- Cam Whitmore
- Aaron Holiday
- 2025 first-rounder (via Phoenix Suns)
- 2027 first-rounder (via Suns)
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“If the Rockets had had Antetokounmpo for their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, we'd be talking about Houston moving on and seriously pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to get to the NBA Finals,” Swartz wrote.
“Antetokounmpo is exactly what this team needs: A No. 1 scoring option who's also a skilled passer and can dominate on both ends of the ball.”
“There's no universe that exists where the Bucks are close to winning a title next year with Damian Lillard recovering from a torn Achilles.”
“This is a chance for Milwaukee to get a haul of draft picks and young players, including a really good selection in the 2025 draft.”
“It would be difficult to imagine Houston parting with a potential No. 1 overall pick in a deal for Antetokounmpo, but its selection (via the Phoenix Suns) does have a 17.3 percent chance to land in the top four overall.”
“Getting a player such as Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe would help Milwaukee begin a new era.”
This isn’t a terrible package for Giannis, especially if the 2025 first-rounder lands close to No. 1.
That being said, the player package Milwaukee would be getting from Houston — headlined by Jalen Green — leaves a little something to be desired.
Green is somewhat overrated and one-dimensional, and you could even argue that Smith Jr. is the prize of the package.
The Bucks could probably get a superior rising star from the San Antonio Spurs (Stephon Castle?) or Oklahoma City Thunder (Jalen Williams? Chet Holmgren?) in a different Giannis deal.
More NBA: Rockets might ditch Fred VanVleet in favor of Bucks guard this summer