About the only thing that seems certain on the Giannis Antetokounmpo is the timeline of a decision: The Bucks “open for business” and are seriously considering trade offers, and their co-owner, Jimmy Haslem, wants things wrapped up before the June 23 NBA Draft (a pick or picks in this year’s draft likely would be in play).
Aside from that, there are more questions than answers at this point. Here are the latest rumors on four teams.
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They remain the strong frontrunners in this race, and there is a genuine mutual interest between the sides, something Jake Fischer echoed at Bleacher Report, but Sam Amick and Eric Nehm at The Athletic added this note.
Many people around the league, from agents to executives, continue to believe that Antetokounmpo will end up in Miami when this saga finally comes to an end.
Pat Riley has made it clear Miami is big game hunting this summer. The Heat trade package for Antetokounmpo would be based around Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and up to three first-round picks, including this season’s No. 13. That comes close to what the Bucks seek — a blue-chip young player and picks — and is same offer the Heat had on the table in February when talks got fairly serious (although league sources told NBC Sports at the time they weren’t sure the Bucks were genuinely looking for a trade then, it was more guageing the market).
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Milwaukee may be treating Miami as the deal it has in its back pocket while looking for a better one. Antetokounmpo will have a say in this, and it’s fair to ask if he’s paired with Bam Adebayo, but there is not much else around them, is that much better than the Bucks situation? But landing in South Beach still seems the most likely outcome.
This is not happening. The one thing that is clear so far in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is that the two-time MVP wants to stay in the East, and with that, the Warriors seem to be pulling back from the more aggressive stance they took at the trade deadline. From Jake Fischer at Bleacher Report.
“I’m not looking at Golden State really as a Giannis team either. I have been told that Giannis isn’t exactly enamored with moving to the Western Conference in general, let alone going and being second fiddle to Stephen Curry.”
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This is a team that draws a lot of speculation, even though there doesn’t seem to be a lot of heat coming from this fire, just a lot of smoke. As longtime Celtics reporter Steve Bulpett reported, there have been no direct talks between Boston and Milwaukee.
So why all the Boston rumors? Because people continue to LOVE the idea of splitting up Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, even if they won a title together. Also, after Boston was upset in the first round of the playoffs, Brown made comments that raised eyebrows while coach Joe Mazzulla talked about needing to put more pressure on the rim. Some people want to connect the dots.
The challenge is putting together a trade that actually works for everyone. It will involve at least three and probably more teams, as Amick and Nehm note at The Athletic. The third team is needed because how much the Bucks want 29-year-old Brown — a true star but one at his peak, not the young heart of a rebuild — is up for debate.
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So while there is no doubting the ability of Boston’s All-NBA forward coming off a career year, he might not fit [Milwaukee’s] timeline or, as rival executives have indicated, their desire to land that top-tier young player in this deal. Still, a multi-team deal in which Brown headed elsewhere could serve them very well in terms of other players and assets.
It may come down to this: Would Antetokounmpo push hard to make this happen? He wants to compete for a ring and him with Jayson Tatum would be that. If Antetokounmpo does push, what is Boston’s true interest level?
This is not happening.
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Multiple reports note that Antetokounmpo does not want to go West (and he has leverage with just one guaranteed year left on his contract, he can walk one year in). What Antetokounmpo wants is to contend, and Portland was a play-in team last season. League sources told NBC Sports the Trail Blazers rumors are more performative than reality, something by and for new owner Tom Dundon, showing fans how he cares about winning — “See how hard we are trying! Look what a good owner I will be!”
Antetokounmpo not going West means not only are Portland and Golden State out, but so are potential real suitors in Minnesota and Houston. I’d say the same about Oklahoma City, but its interest was always speculation from the outside by people seeking attention, not grounded in reality. OKC was never going in on Antetokounmpo.
