The Bucks' season has been dominated by trade rumors around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Bill Simmons thinks his actual trade value has plummeted because of his playstyle. Due to Giannis' ball-dominant nature, Simmons thinks up-and-coming teams will hesitate to add him. This could hurt his overall value and the eventual return for the Bucks.
"There's a perception that if you bring Giannis in, you have to fit the team around him. He's not a fit-into-the-team guy."
Which teams actually want to trade for Giannis?
Simmons compared Giannis to a former MVP power forward in Kevin Garnett, who was once the NBA's biggest trade target in 2007. At the time, Garnett was also 31 (Giannis' current age) and a former MVP disgruntled by his team's roster-building failures. However, Garnett was known as a play finisher and ferocious defender who could complement other star players without dominating the ball.
Giannis' failure to reach another level of team success with Damian Lillard further adds to this perception. That was arguably the only time Giannis has played with another superstar player, but he wasn't able to thrive as a screen-setter and roller. Dame and Giannis were obviously great individually, but they couldn't bring out additional synergy with each other.
For teams with young stars looking to take a major leap, adding Giannis now becomes a risky proposition. Not only will they have to big up significant assets to acquire Giannis, they are also afraid that the Greek Freak will ruin their team chemistry. When he arrives, he could demand touches away from a team's budding young star and force the roster to adapt towards his play style.
Instead, the strongest suitors for Giannis' service could end up being teams that are ready to give up on their current roster. Simmons brought up the Hawks as the most logical destination, since they can send back their own ball-dominant star in Trae Young and additional young talent. If they traded for Giannis, he would dominate the ball on their team but that might not necessarily be a bad thing; they could use a proper superstar to initiate the offense.
Ironically, Giannis' dominance has put him and the Bucks in a difficult position. Because of his stature and ability, teams may struggle to fit around him right away. This predicament could lead to him not being traded midseason but rather waiting until the summer. At that time, another team could make other moves to build their roster around Giannis and get a full offseason to mesh with him.
Giannis isn't quite the same ideal trade target as 2007 Kevin Garnett. You can't just drop him into any team and expect the pieces to fit together perfectly. But he's still one of the very best players in the world, and hopefully the Bucks can get a huge return for him if a trade ever does happen.