When there was past speculation about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to be in Milwaukee long term, Jon Horst and the front office took swings to get their superstar to re-sign. Those swings were in the form of a trade for Jrue Holiday back in the summer of 2020 and Damian Lillard in the summer of 2023. If the Bucks want to try to reassure Giannis, then a Kevin Durant trade would be another home run this summer.
Kevin Durant would be a perfect fit in Milwaukee
If there is any real weakness in Giannis' game, it is his inability over the years to be a closer who can create shots and offense down the stretch of games. He has relied on players like Khris Middleton and, most recently, Damian Lillard to manufacture those shots. Kevin Durant might be the best shot maker to ever play the game and the ultimate star pairing for Antetokounmpo.
Durant has experience playing with stars of Giannis' caliber before. He spent time with Russell Westbrook in OKC, Stephen Curry in Golden State, James Harden and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, and Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Phoenix. This bodes well for Giannis, since the fit with Lillard has been a bit awkward at times over their first two seasons together. Durant has proven he can take a step back and rise when needed.
What would it take to make this type of trade happen? It would be difficult to match Durant's salary and would require the involvement of players like Bobby Portis (who has a player option this summer), Kyle Kuzma, and Pat Connaughton. A third team getting involved might be what it takes, which would almost certainly require the Milwaukee Bucks to include their 2031 first-round pick and potentially even more. It is a high price for a 36-year-old aging star in Durant.
Would that be enough to convince Giannis to stay? Durant can help Antetokounmpo carry the load through the regular season to get a top-four seed. Then the Bucks pray that Lillard can make a return for the playoffs (assuming he isn't included in the trade). In a weakened Eastern Conference, maybe that's enough to get a shot at the Finals. On the other hand, adding an injury-prone aging star to a team that's suffered devastating injuries in the last three postseasons might not be the best idea.
Trading for KD would be the home run trade that Jon Horst could try to pull off to silence the rumors about Giannis' future and put the Milwaukee Bucks back in contention in the East. Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely, probably not, but just like the Damian Lillard trade a couple of years ago, Horst can make the seemingly impossible possible.