Grading a trade proposal for Bucks to send Giannis to another East contender

With the Milwaukee Bucks off to an ugly start to the 2024-25 season, many are wondering how soon it will be until superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo demands to be traded. That may or may not come this season as the Bucks slip further back in the standings but if one does occur this year, another team in the East could be poised to make a big trade to acquire him.

One such team could be the Brooklyn Nets, who have pivoted nicely after being forced to trade their big three of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant. After it initially appeared as though they were going to build around star Mikal Bridges, they wisely traded him to the New York Knicks in a deal that landed them five first-round picks. Now they are flush with picks and have the necessary matching salary to make a big in-season deal to acquire a superstar such as Giannis.

What would a potential Milwaukee Bucks - Brooklyn Nets deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo look like?

As far as a proposed deal between the Bucks and Nets, the most likely incarnation of a Giannis trade to Brooklyn would involve Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas. While Simmons has fallen off significantly, he has a $40 million expiring contract that will be attractive to a team such as the Bucks, who would be forced to rebuild if they have to trade Giannis.

In addition to Simmons and Thomas, they could also offer at least five first-round picks. That includes Milwaukee's own pick in 2025, which is top-4 protected, giving the Bucks the rights to their pick back in next year's draft. Moving Giannis in that scenario would likely be only the first move to quickly pivot towards a rebuild.

Next, they would probably move Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Poris Jr. Moving each could net them more assets but getting five firsts for their best player would be a great start to a rebuild for the Bucks. Especially after they gave up most of their draft picks in the deal that landed them Jrue Holiday, and then more in the deal that sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Lillard.

While other teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder, could offer more, the Spurs may not want to speed up their timeline and risk what they have built. The Thunder, on the other hand, are already one of the best teams in the NBA and would have to gut their roster to acquire Giannis. Therefore, the Nets seem like an ideal trade candidate for the Bucks if Giannis were to ask out this season and the proposed deal gets a B+.