Perfect Giannis Antetokounmpo trade Thunder must offer Bucks

11/19/2024 05:45 PM

The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t in a great position, especially after posting a 5-9 record to start the 2024-2025 NBA season. With the way things are going, it’s looking like the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard partnership is going nowhere. Add in the coaching of Doc Rivers and the Bucks are faced with massive pressure to make a roster decision.

The Bucks are still in a position to be a championship contender. However, Milwaukee possibly facing an uncertain future, it’s no secret that the pressure is on the franchise whether to keep Giannis around or to build for the future. There’s no question that the Bucks are grateful for Giannis’ accomplishments, capped off by a title in 2021.

However, it’s looking like the Bucks have failed to support Giannis’ championship pursuits. Landing Lillard is looking more like a mistake rather than a star power addition. The move ultimately hurts more, especially after Jrue Holiday, the guard they swapped the All-Star guard for, would win a championship in Boston.

If Giannis does want out, the Bucks should be prepared to entertain some phone calls, as the Greek Freak is certainly a player that any NBA team would want to have aboard. Assuming the Greek Freak wants out, the Bucks should easily get a haul out of him, paving the way for a bright future. If there’s a NBA team that they should listen to, the Oklahoma City Thunder comes to mind.

Proposed trade Thunder must offer Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bucks receive: Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Nikola Topic, Ousmane Dieng, two 2025 1st Round picks, one 2026 1st Round pick

Thunder receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp

EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the Bucks are a second-apron team, they are allowed to aggregate salaries in order to move into the first tax apron. This proposed trade would effectively move Milwaukee roughly $3.6 million below the second apron for the 2024-25 season. 

It’s a common belief that the Thunder are just one megastar away to solve their championship puzzle. With an already established core to go along with a surplus of talent, a trade for Giannis should boost their pursuit for gold. On the other hand, the Bucks should be looking towards a bright future, if they do swap their two-time NBA MVP for a massive haul of fresh, blue-chip talent.

For the Bucks, the gem of the package would easily be Chet Holmgren. The Thunder big man’s combination of skill and size is just too difficult to ignore, as he possesses the talent to become the face of a franchise. Given that Holmgren was situated alongside SGA in Oklahoma City, it would be interesting to see how the seven-footer will fare once he runs his own team.

On the other hand, the Bucks should also get some rotational players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Ousmane Dieng. Both have proven to be productive and reliable on both ends of the floor, giving Milwaukee some much-added depth.

It is also likely that throwing in 2024 first-round draft pick Nikola Topic should spice up the deal in favor of the Bucks. While Topic has yet to see action in an NBA court, he could be another overlooked European prospect the franchise can build around. Although it’s a gamble to see how he will fare on an NBA court, Topic’s potential, when healthy, is limitless.

However, the Bucks are probably keen on making the most out of the draft picks. These draft picks should give the Bucks a chance to build towards a bright future by drafting highly touted prospects.

Thunder lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo

With an already established core, a megastar like Giannis should make life easier for SGA and crew. The Thunder already have several role players with Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, and Luguentz Dort, all of which are capable of doing the dirty work. With Giannis and Gilgeous-Alexander at the top, they would be a deadly one-two punch in the NBA.

Make no mistake, while SGA has been a great player for the Thunder as the face of their franchise, there have been times when the Canadian star could use another superstar to take pressure off of his shoulders offensively. With Giannis potentially available, the former Finals MVP is the perfect player for the job, at least on paper.

Although there could be possible issues concerning fit and the Thunder’s chemistry, the addition of Giannis is just too hard to pass up. The Thunder’s young pieces have shown that they can contribute even in the playoffs. However, last year showed that there was something evidently still missing for the rebuilding Thunder. Perhaps, The Greek Freak could be the final piece of the rebuild that would finally return them to the Finals.

Let’s not forget, Giannis was able to lead the Bucks to a championship team back in 2021. With a more talented and deeper Thunder squad, landing Antetokounmpo in Oklahoma City should make the Thunder a scary team for many years to come.

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