Giannis Antetokounmpo just bought the Milwaukee Bucks more time to find him a championship-caliber supporting cast. If this trade deadline fails to deliver the perimeter scorer they're seeking, they could wind up circling back to Trae Young.
Yes, the Washington Wizards just acquired him, but no, that doesn't mean he has a guaranteed future with the franchise. Maybe his game doesn't mesh with their young core. Or perhaps those young players aren't ready to level-up around the four-time All-Star. Either way, the Wizards would be out almost nothing by flipping Young so quickly given how absurdly little they gave up. And if Young winds up back on the trade block, Milwaukee has enough to go get him.
A trade pitch to put Trae Young in Milwaukee this summer
Much like the Wizards, the Bucks could probably get this done with mostly non-essentials. To get this over the finish line, though, Milwaukee would need to put that pick swap on the table, if for no other reason than to cover for the $15.6 million player option Portis holds for the 2027-28 season. And to help cushion the blow of those swap rights, Washington could include Whitmore, an athletic 21-year-old who has pumped in 21.8 points per 36 minutes for his career, per Basketball-Reference.
That's the how portion of this swap, but the why is the far more fascinating aspect.
And you probably could've guessed this, but, like all things Bucks, this has everything to do with Antetokounmpo. Because his latest public commitment, as convincing as it sounds, won't totally settle his future. It's just a temporary reprieve from the constant speculation about his long-term plans.
Remember, the words of this generational great won't change the fact he can opt out of his contract in 2027. While he may never explicitly ask for a trade, he could still force Milwaukee's hands a bit by leaving himself untethered to anything beyond his current pact.
The Bucks need to give him real reasons to stick around. More specifically, they need to make him believe in their chances to emerge as a contender once again. That won't be easily done with their roster as is, and their trade-market options are limited by a general lack of assets.
That's why a gamble on Young appealed to them in the first place. Or why they're linked to similar gambles on the likes of Zach LaVine and Michael Porter Jr. They can't afford a perfect fit, so they're left chasing as much talent as they can get and hoping they just might wind up mashing a square peg through a round hole.
Young is immensely talented. That sounds obvious for someone with his accolades, but it's worth repeating given the general discourse surrounding his trade value (or lack thereof). He's a liability on defense and certainly not the most efficient player around, but he's still a perennial challenger for the assists title while typically netting about 25 points per night.
He's also a pick-and-roll maestro, making it easy to envision some two-man magic between him and Antetokounmpo. Young's efficiency could also climb by suiting up alongside such a gravitational force on offense. And while his defensive warts will never go away, at least an Antetokounmpo-Myles Turner frontcourt stands a puncher's chance of covering them up.
This deal would still land under the desperation umbrella, but if the Bucks clearly aren't contenders this season and don't have a commitment from Antetokounmpo beyond the next one, wouldn't this be the most desperate situation in all of basketball? Milwaukee will explore alternatives between now and the deadline, but if this roster isn't in better shape by the summer, circling back to Young may be a distinct possibility.