4 Blockbuster trades to send Giannis Antetokounmpo to his preferred destinations

No. 3: Brooklyn Nets go big

The most surprising team on Marc Stein's list of Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors was the Brooklyn Nets, a team that traded away its star in Mikal Bridges and traded for its own draft pick back to tank for the season.

If the goal is to tank, however, the Nets have done a poor job thus far. On Wednesday morning they are 4-4, currently in third place in the Eastern Conference. A .500 team won't end up as the No. 3 seed in the East, but the Nets have proven to be quite competitive with their band of veterans and inspired play from Dennis Schroder.

Could the Nets make a pivot and instead trade for a superstar and begin building around him? They certainly have the pieces to get such a deal done. Such a trade package starts with the Bucks' own 2025 Draft pick, which the Nets will receive if the Bucks land somewhere between 5 and 30 in the first round (the New Orleans Pelicans own the pick if it's in the Top 4). If the Bucks trade away Antetokounmpo, getting back their own pick would be extremely valuable.

On top of that pick, the Nets have a deep coffer of other picks, from the 76ers and the Suns and the Nets themselves. That allows them to provide a variety platter to the Bucks, who don't have to root against one single team but can diversify their portfolio and increase their chances someone falls apart and nets them a premium pick.

The other huge asset that the Nets have for a blockbuster trade is Ben Simmons. The onetime All-NBA player is barely an NBA rotation player right now, but he owns a massive $40.3 million expiring contract. The Bucks could open up significant cap space as soon as 2025 by taking back Simmons' deal in a trade.

Here is what a trade offer could look like coming from the Nets:

Cam Thomas is a solid scoring guard and the Nets would likely be interested in keeping him, but he's probably better deployed on a lower-rung team and the Nets will be looking to build a contender. Noah Clowney shows a lot of promise and would help the Bucks rebuild their pool of young talent. And on top of that the Nets would be offering five draft picks, many of them with significant upside, including the crown jewel of the Bucks' own 2025 first.

Brooklyn could field a team immediately featuring Dennis Schroder, Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton around Giannis Antetokounmpo, with other players such as Dorian Finney-Smith, Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe around them. The backcourt would be thin, but the Nets would still have ammo for another move. The window for contending also wouldn't be just this year, and the Nets could build an even stronger team around him.

Are the Nets title contenders with Antetokounmpo? Certainly not. But the most important step is getting the superstar, and this trade would accomplish that. Given the rumors that he is interested in signing in Brooklyn, that may be enough for Brooklyn to dive in.