Every single team in the NBA wants to get their hands on Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the question is whether or not they will actually be able to propose a good offer while remaining competitive.
Per NBA writer Howard Beck, who stopped by The Zach Lowe Show recently, the sense is that if Giannis requests a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, a bigger market may be in play for the star.
“I poked around a little bit a few days ago, and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities. One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market. I think they threw Chicago in there."
It will take a historic package to get Giannis from the Bucks
Of the six teams mentioned by Beck, they'd all love to have Giannis, but they more than likely cannot piece together deals worth Milwaukee's attention that would also entice Antetokounmpo post-trade to ensure they're in a better contending situation than the Bucks would offer.
The Nets have a boatload of picks, but they aren't ready for contention. The Lakers and Clippers are interesting, but they are running low on assets and desirable young players. Miami and Chicago have assets, but not enough to be enticing to Milwaukee. The Knicks could be interesting if they crafted a deal around their top stars not named Jalen Brunson and draft picks, but do they have enough after the Mikal Bridges trade? All of these teams have plenty of significant question marks.
Remember, this could be the most valuable trade package in NBA history, even if the Bucks are low on leverage in the event Giannis Antetokounmpo asks out. The Greek Freak won't be on the move to a new team for pennies on the dollar. This won't be a move like when the Dallas Mavericks moved their star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in the shadows. This will be an all-out bidding war.
Teams that make much more sense as potential Giannis trade suitors are the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Neither city may have the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles, but they are still decently sized and, more importantly, have treasure chests full of draft picks and players that could entice the Milwaukee Bucks in the event that they have to trade their star. Furthermore, adding him to their rosters, even after sending out a historic package, could elevate themselves a step further.
Summer isn't even here yet and the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are in full swing.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.