Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons to pursue James Harden trade
By Dalton Sell
No. 1 – Trading for James Harden is a strong pitch towards Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks remodeled their roster this offseason and undoubtedly improved. Still, it remains to be seen whether their current roster changes are a strong enough pitch to have Giannis Antetokounmpo sign the five-year supermax extension Milwaukee is currently offering him.
Antetokounmpo has stated from day one that his goal is to win a title, and he has not been shy about wanting to do it with the Bucks. However, following the disappointment stemming from the past two postseasons, he might be hesitant to remain locked in with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
If the Bucks are going to put the rest of their chips in and try to secure Giannis’ commitment before the December 21 deadline to sign his supermax extension, a Harden trade should be on the table. A trio of Antetokounmpo, Harden, and Holiday is formidable for opponents and might make Milwaukee the title favorites on impact.
For those concerned about potential personality conflicts between Harden and Antetokounmpo, that might not be an issue, at least according to Giannis himself. In a recent interview with Cosmote TV, which was transcribed by Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, the Greek Freak expressed his willingness to take a backseat to other stars if they were to come to Milwaukee:
"“This is a statement that I have never made before. If LeBron and Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis came to Milwaukee; I would have been good with that. I am not interested if I am the top, second or third name, ok? Because I want to win… And if I got LeBron, KD, Davis, if all those came, I wouldn’t mind at all. I don’t care if I am the top (player) on the team”."
Giannis made no mention of Harden, likely because of his well-known history of back-and-forths with the guard. Still, both players want to win their first championship, and if they are indeed all-in on winning, they could feasibly push aside their differences to pursue that goal in Milwaukee.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 red flags to consider with a James Harden trade. dark
Would bringing in James Harden be enough to solidify a signature from Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the supermax deadline? Who knows, but it certainly would not hurt to bring in one of the league’s top players today.