After a third consecutive first-round flameout, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are at a crossroads. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that the former MVP is open-minded about a future outside of Milwaukee, and Antetokounmpo is expected to meet with Bucks management this week to discuss his future.
Antetokounmpo has stated that he doesn’t want to finish his career with one championship, and with three consecutive first-round exits, the torn Achilles of his co-star Damian Lillard, and Milwaukee being so far into the second apron, he may have to seek greener pastures.
The Bucks have a lot of holes on their roster and have no assets to fill them. They put themselves in this position when they traded for Jrue Holiday prior to their 2021 championship and shipped Holiday and their remaining assets for Lillard in 2023. No one knows what Antetokounmpo will do, but given the Bucks’ dire situation, it won’t be a surprise to see him ask out.
If Antetokounmpo were to request a trade, he would have no shortage of suitors around the league. However, one rising Western Conference team stands out as the perfect trade partner.
The San Antonio Spurs should trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
San Antonio navigated their pursuit of Fox masterfully. They knew they needed a long term floor general next to Wemby and Fox fit that bill. They acquired the All-Star from Sacramento while holding onto all of their first round picks and the picks they own from the Atlanta Hawks thanks to the Dejounte Murray trade.
The Spurs have two lottery picks in the 2025 draft: the second overall pick and the 14th pick. This year’s class is deep and has a lot of guys that are potential franchise players or long-term winning pieces.
The Bucks desperately need an infusion of youth on their team, and being able to draft a cornerstone like Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, or VJ Edgecombe with the second pick would be a step in the right direction. San Antonio can also offer the Hawks’ first-rounders in a trade, and with Atlanta facing the prospect of a rebuild, those picks would be valuable to Milwaukee.
The Bucks trading Giannis to the Spurs would create a new Big 3
As for Giannis, pairing him and Wembanyama together in the frontcourt would easily make them the most dominant duo in the league. Good luck stopping those two in the paint on both ends of the floor. Antetokounmpo’s ability to put consistent pressure on the rim would make the Spurs’ offense even more dangerous, and him running in transition with one of the fastest guards in the league in Fox is another fun layer to think about.
As for the Bucks, they need to start fresh. They have no draft picks or young players to build around. Trading Antetokounmpo for a haul of picks and young players is something they will likely seek in a trade, and the Spurs have a lot of that to offer, from first-round picks to young guys like Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and others.
By landing with San Antonio, Antetokounmpo would get an extended championship window alongside Wembanyama and better overall organizational stability. Milwaukee would be able to replenish their assets and start a rebuild with a young star leading the way via the second overall pick. This is something both teams should look into this offseason.