There have been countless conflicting reports, but if the Milwaukee Bucks end up having to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Johnson is one player they should covet. Johnson, whose ties to Wisconsin already run deep, is exactly the type of potential-filled young player this team would need if they hit the reset button post-Giannis.
Jalen Johnson should fascinate the Bucks
Johnson grew up in Sun Prairie, just a short drive from Milwaukee. He's certainly familiar with the area. However, a trade to the Bucks would be more than a feel-good story. The forward is brimming with so much potential that is finally starting to surface with the Atlanta Hawks this season. At 24 years old and finally healthy, there is a good chance he's also just getting started.
In 20 games this season, Johnson has looked like an All-Star, averaging 23.2 points, 10 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while hitting 41.3 percent of his triple tries. After being limited to just 36 games last year due to injury, a healthy Johnson is wreaking havoc on the rest of the NBA.
If the Milwaukee Bucks have to trade their star player, a young, potential-filled player should sit atop their wish list of assets to get in return. Picks are great, even with Milwaukee's poor draft record, but much like how the OKC Thunder got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Paul George deal, a good young player can set up a team for a decade of success after hitting the reset button.
Alongside Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins, who look like the backcourt of the future, Johnson would give the Bucks a building block for the next handful of years.
The question at hand, of course, is whether the Hawks would be willing to part with their budding star in any trade, even for a player like Giannis. They'd certainly rather look to create a package around an assortment of picks and a combination of Kristaps Porzingis, Zaccharie Risacher, Trae Young, and even Dyson Daniels before Johnson, but the Bucks might drive a hard bargain.
It's still too early to tell where any of this is going. The media insists something is bubbling here with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Doc Rivers and Bucks players have been clear that nothing is looming. It's a big game of he-said-she-said right now. Only time will tell who emerges on the right side.
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