It's only been a few days, but the smoke is starting to clear. Much has been said as it currently stands, and there's nothing left to do but move forward. The Milwaukee Bucks lost, and it took an elimination game for Doc Rivers to listen to his players. Now, the Bucks are on vacation.
Nobody wants to hear it, but it's a conversation fans may need to consider in the near future: Should Giannis Antetokounmpo ever decide to leave Wisconsin, which team would offer Milwaukee the most favorable package?
After all, a player of his caliber will surely have more than his fair share of suitors. However, a quick look at the landscape of the association today suggests that this is a straightforward and easy, if not painless, conversation. If the Milwaukee Bucks ever got serious about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Oklahoma City Thunder wouldn’t just be in the conversation.
They’d be at the head of the table.
Presti can promise Horst a return for Giannis no other front office can
Considering where they're at, the Thunder don’t need Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that’s what makes the idea terrifying.
Just look at the year they just had. They just finished the regular season with the best record in basketball and the best point differential in NBA history. They already have an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Defensive Player of the Year prospect in Chet Holmgren and that do-it-all wing every team needs in Jalen Williams. They also might very well go all the way to the NBA Finals this year, which would only make a Giannis acquisition that much scarier for the rest of the league.
On paper, the OKC Thunder look ahead of schedule. However, this isn’t about what wants or needs. It’s about opportunity.
Considering what Milwaukee is giving up, they are right and justified to expect nothing less than an overpay for one of the best players in the NBA. No team in the league is more equipped to overpay without hurting themselves in the process than OKC.
Think about it. They control 15 future first-round picks over the next seven drafts. They have a deep, young, cost-controlled roster with guys who could be sweeteners without touching the core. They have the contracts and flexibility to make salaries match. And crucially, they could make the deal without giving up all three of SGA, Holmgren and J-Dub, which is a luxury no other suitor can match at this point.
The Nets would have to rely on the promise (which is totally unguaranteed) of their picks. The Rockets would come close, but any player they give up will hurt them more than it would for the Thunder. Maybe the Warriors could, but they just don't have the draft capital that would enable Jon Horst to immediately initiate a rebuild scenario.
The logic here is simple: if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to win now, and OKC doesn’t want to gamble with time, pairing him with Giannis instantly gives them the best duo in the West, if not the league. SGA's shot creation and late-game brilliance, plus Giannis’ defensive dominance and physicality? That’s not just a contender. That’s a juggernaut.
Perhaps it would depend on how the rest of these playoffs go, too. If this Thunder group were to somehow flame out earlier than expected, a scenario that looks less likely by the day, then Sam Presti will be staring at the exact scenario that has historically led him to strike: a good team that needs one move to become great.
Yes, the Thunder are patient. Yes, they’re young. But windows are a myth. Ask the 2012 Thunder. Ask the Lob City Clippers. Ask the young Celtics before Tatum became Tatum. Or maybe you should ask the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets about the seasons immediately after they won it all.
The point here is this: you strike when the moment's right — not when it’s easy. And it looks like that moment is soon coming for Oklahoma.
If Milwaukee decides it’s time to retool, and they want both the picks and the players to do it fast, no one has a better package than OKC. And Jon Horst would be wise to go with the smart choice this time around. No more trades like their Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma blunder.
The scariest part? They could do it... and still keep winning.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis as we head into what is sure to be an eventful offseason.