The Milwaukee Bucks are no stranger to Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors. If he were to leave, with new rumors swirling that he may be open to playing outside of Milwaukee, only a few teams could afford the historic package that it would cost. Let's break them down.
1. OKC Thunder
OKC may have won 68 games, but their series with the Denver Nuggets has raised questions as to whether they need to make another move to win the title. They are still in a great position to go all the way, and that will ultimately dictate what they do this offseason. Should they win the championship, they would bring the same team back and continue to grow with the young core they have. If they don't win, then a move for Giannis could very well be on the table.
Along with their talented roster, the Thunder have a plethora of draft capital that Sam Presti has collected as a GM. They have 13 first-round picks and 17 second-round picks over the next seven years. Milwaukee has a total of eight between now and 2031. The lack of assets hinders the Bucks' moves. OKC can package together a magnitude of picks and young players for Giannis.
Isaiah Hartenstein would likely have to be in the deal for financial reasons. Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace and Nikola Topic would likely be players the Thunder would be open to parting ways with to bring the two-time MVP in. Draft assets would be the real player here.
2. Houston Rockets
Houston has been a team that comes up time and time again in superstar rumors. Kevin Durant has been someone who has come up a lot, along with Giannis. They don't have the riches in draft capital that the Thunder have, but the Rockets have higher potential players that they would have to trade.
Amen Thompson is someone that the Milwaukee Bucks would be demanding as part of the deal. Alperen Sengun could be in the deal with his salary increasing to $33.9 million next season, and Fred VanVleet has a $44 million team option that would dictate their future moves. Jabari Smith Jr. and Cam Whitmore have been players added in plenty of mock trades.
This coming NBA Draft, the Rockets have the Suns' pick, which could land them a high selection to then try to entice a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Again, they have the Suns' pick in 2027 as their franchise continues to crumble, making that pick valuable. Houston could well be positioned best to make a deal should Giannis Antetokounmpo request a trade.
3. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is the final team with the assets, and that is down to their 36 future draft picks over the next seven years. The Spurs brought in De'Aaron Fox to partner with Victor Wembanyama before the latter was shut down for the season due to a blood clot in his shoulder. Mitch Johnson is now the full-time head coach, with Gregg Popovich moving upstairs as the President of Basketball Operations. Could his first big move be to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo in?
Their 36 draft picks are just a ridiculous amount. They would make up the bulk of the trade package, but the Spurs have several young players that the Bucks would look to have included in the deal. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle would be the name at the top of that list, with wings Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan also interesting players.
Those players are fine contributors, but they are not enough in terms of current ability, so, again, this deal would have to mostly be about the picks.
The Brooklyn Nets have been named multiple times with their draft assets and cap space. Brooklyn is likely more of a potential free agent destination for Giannis as their roster is not blessed with high-potential players.
Another factor could be the NBA Draft Lottery, which takes place on May 12. If one of these teams were fortunate enough to snag the first overall pick, they could attempt to move quickly and hope the Milwaukee Bucks believe in rebuilding around Cooper Flagg.
All is still very uncertain, and we see this every offseason with Giannis Antetokounmpo. For now, he is still a Milwaukee Buck.