Giannis Antetokounmpo likes to have the basketball in his hands, and that's simply something that the Milwaukee Bucks have to understand in trade talks. Trading for another ball-dominant star feels like it could be a move that upsets the Greek Freak. Following a recent game, Giannis explained why he feels like the team is at its best when he's operating with the ball.
"The more I playmake, the more the ball is in my hands—Not selfish. I’m not trying to say that when I have the ball, I’m trying to score. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is the gravity I create when I have the ball in my hands allows my teammates to be open and puts them in positions to be successful. You can check through my career. Any game where I’ve had over seven or eight assists, we’ve probably won like 60–70 percent of those games."
The Bucks don't need another ball-dominant piece in the lineup
While he hasn't been directly linked to the Milwaukee Bucks in trade rumors, there have been pitches lately about whether or not the team would make sense as a Trae Young landing spot. Young's time with the Hawks feels like it will soon expire, and some wonder if Milwaukee's desperation would be a factor in them swinging for the fences to get another star.
They should stay away from Young for many reasons, but among the biggest is that the second he sets foot in town, he's taking the ball out of Giannis' hands.
Young has always needed the basketball to be impactful. He's a tremendous floor general who can run an offense at the highest level. Last season, he averaged a league-high 11.6 assists per game, over one more than the runner-up, Nikola Jokic (10.2). Any team trading for him must give him the basketball reins or he's not going to make much of an impact.
The Bucks have been down this road with Damian Lillard. While the guard was still a solid piece for the Milwaukee Bucks and formed a lethal duo with Giannis, they never fully took off. He needed the ball in his hands often. Young would be a far worse fit for the Bucks, given that he's an even smaller guard and would get picked on far more defensively.
Simply, the Bucks have no reason to trade for a $46 million floor general who needs to have the ball in his hands when their franchise cornerstone clearly wants it in his own.
The Milwaukee Bucks should be looking for pieces that complement the Greek Freak. One name on the market is Michael Porter Jr. An excellent perimeter shooter and rebounder, he'd be a great fit on this roster, especially considering how depleted this group is at small forward. Jerami Grant is not a seamless fit, but he'd be much better than Young in terms of what this team needs.
There is about a month left until the NBA Trade Deadline, and everyone is watching the Bucks to see if they can do something to make Giannis happy. Young is not the answer.
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