By now, it seems almost inevitable that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be traded this offseason. That would mean the end of an era in Milwaukee, but they may soon learn a hard lesson.
While Giannis is one of the five best players in the NBA, he may not net them as big of a draft haul as many might expect. The Bucks appear deadset on trading him before or during the NBA Draft.
In doing so, it could further limit the possible trade return for the Bucks. Part of the problem with that strategy is that several potential Giannis landing spots have to wait until at least the draft or the start of free agency to have enough assets to make a run at him.
Bucks may soon learn a painful Giannis Antetokounmpo trade lesson
The Los Angeles Lakers, for example, won't be able to trade three firsts until draft night and won't have the cap space to absorb his contract until the start of free agency. Still, several teams could jump at the chance to trade for him before or during the draft.
If the Boston Celtics are willing to trade Jaylen Brown for Giannis, then they would be the frontrunner to land him. The Miami Heat could be the second most likely landing spot with them having chased him for years.
Meanwhile, more dark horse trade partners such as the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers loom. The Bucks would have to potentially choose the best offer from those teams.
The Bucks may not get all that they want for Giannis
Perhaps the best realistic offer they could receive is from the Heat. They can offer Kell'el Ware, Tyler Hero, Andrew Wiggins, and three first-round picks for Giannis.
It's debateable whether the Heat would have enough around Giannis and Bam Adebayo, but getting Giannis is the ultimate goal. As far as a trade return, that's good value but perhaps not great value for the Bucks.
The Heat would probably be very good with Giannis, minimizing the value of the picks they'd be sending out. Ware is a promising player but perhaps not a star.
Meanwhile, Herro is a very good player but not one that you can build around, while Wiggins is a useful veteran but a throw-in for salary. However, he could be rerouted to another team for more assets.
If that is the best the Bucks can do for Giannis, they could be in for a long rebuild.
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