As NBA fans and teams alike wait with bated breath to see if Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will demand a trade, one potential landing spot looms large. The Bucks are just 5-9 and are already several games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, making a potentially deep playoff run much harder.
While most expect them to still make the playoffs, that is the bare minimum, and title contention is clearly their aspiration. In recent weeks, Giannis has become vocal about his team's lack of success and that has understandably led to trade chatter about his future in Milwaukee.
He has two years left on his contract and if he were to demand a trade either in-season or next summer, the Brooklyn Nets seem like a strong candidate to acquire him. The Ringers' Bill Simmons recently said as much on his podcast.
Giannis to the Brooklyn Nets???@BillSimmons breaks down why he thinks the Nets are the best option if the Bucks decide to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. pic.twitter.com/Vm4q1KEiVg
— The Ringer (@ringer) November 11, 2024
After spending the first 12 seasons of his career in Milwaukee, if he were to ask out, it would seem plausible that he would prefer to finally play in a big market. Playing in Brooklyn isn't as attractive as playing for the New York Knicks, but it is still a big-market team. Although they don't have a team that can win now with Giannis, they have proven resourceful in the past in building around stars.
They famously signed Kyrie Irving and traded for Kevin Durant in the summer of 2019 and then orchestrated a deal to acquire James Harden from the Houston Rockets. That blew up in their face when Harden demanded to be traded and was later followed out the door by Durant and Irving.
Nevertheless, after they traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for five first-round picks, they have been linked to Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and now Giannis.
Can the Brooklyn Nets acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential trade?
For the Nets to even have a chance to acquire Giannis, it would have to get to a point in Milwaukee where it is clear that they are going to compete for a championship. It certainly is trending that way with them being at least the third-best team in their conference and facing an uphill battle to make it to the playoffs, let alone the Eastern Conference Finals.
If Giannis becomes available this season, they could build a package around Ben Simmons' expiring contract, as well as at least five first-round picks. If he becomes available this summer, then the Nets may have to trade some combination of Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton to help to match salaries, though the Nets would also have cap space.
Moving a couple of those players in a potential deal for Giannis would allow them to preserve some of that cap space, which they could potentially use to sign Jimmy Butler. Factor in that Brooklyn should have a high lottery pick, possibly even the first pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft and they could potentially sell him on playing in Brooklyn should Giannis decide to play elsewhere.