As the Bucks prepare for the possibility of a Giannis Antetokoumpo trade, they must be focused on maximizing their return. There may not be one singular trade partner that gives them the perfect package in exchange, but adding the Brooklyn Nets can sweeten the deal for Milwaukee. The Nets are the only NBA team with significant cap space, and they can help by taking on bad contracts from the Bucks' current roster and any returning players.
The Nets are the key to a savvy trade
Of course, the Nets will not offer their services for free. They will need to be incentivized to take on negative contracts with future assets, whether it's draft picks or some young players. The Bucks need to force any Giannis suitor to provide these and lure in Brooklyn.
A good multi-team deal can get the Bucks exactly what they want in a Giannis trade: a promising route to build for the future. They should be targeting young players with lots of potential and looking to get out of any long-term contracts for aging players. Once Giannis leaves, the Bucks are unlikely to be competitive for a few years, so they need to plan around that timeline.
Although the Bucks have done a poor job of acquiring and developing young talent in recent seasons, that will need to be their focus if Giannis demands out. The ideal trade would leave the Bucks with promising future assets and no baggage of older players. The Nets are in the prime position to absorb outgoing salaries from Giannis' eventual destination and make that happen.
With the NBA's new CBA rules, straight-up trades between two teams are becoming increasingly more difficult to execute. Many teams are capped in the salaries they can send out or absorb due to the CBA's aprons, so third-party catalysts have to get involved. Even the NBA's biggest trade last season saw this trend continue.
When Luka Doncic was traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and younger assets, the Utah Jazz got involved as a middleman. The Jazz took on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino and got two second-round picks as compensation. It wasn't a major aspect of the deal, but quietly benefited all parties while giving the Jazz more draft capital.
If the Nets can get a similar benefit for taking on some smaller contracts, they will be happy to oblige. Having a flexible team on board the trade gives the Bucks more options to select exactly who they want back in a Giannis trade. Ironically, one of the NBA's worst teams can play a monumental role in determining the future of a generational superstar.