The Milwaukee Bucks are a team that has bent over backwards to appease their homegrown superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Despite winning an NBA championship in 2021, the Bucks have done nothing but regress since then.
Milwaukee hasn’t sniffed the Conference Finals since that run, and in the last three years, has been eliminated in the first round.
Which is why it wasn’t too big of a shock when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week on Antetokounmpo’s interest in leaving the Bucks and joining the New York Knicks.
New York is ready to compete for a championship now; the Bucks are not.
Milwaukee should consider canvassing the market on a potential Antetokounmpo trade sooner rather than later, because if the two-time league MVP demands a trade and insists on a specific location, it may diminish the return they receive in a deal.
Bucks Trade Proposal Sends Giannis to the Pistons
In a trade idea proposed by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Bucks would ship Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that would beat anything the New York Knicks could offer.
Detroit Pistons receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2031 first-round pick
Considering the current iteration of the Bucks, you would be hard-pressed to find a believer who thinks they could be a contender in a weakened Eastern Conference.
Even with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers taking a step back, Milwaukee’s roster on paper doesn’t seem to hold a candle to the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
“There doesn’t appear to be enough talent for a deep playoff run now. There isn’t enough cap space on the horizon to get there through future free agency periods. And there’s nowhere near enough draft capital to do it with trades,” wrote Bailey.
“If all of that and a little pressure from Giannis pushes Milwaukee to finally move on from perhaps the best player in franchise history (it’s either him or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), it could take a below-market deal from the Knicks.”
“Or, the Bucks could make like the Spurs and Jazz before them, open up the bidding and accept real value from elsewhere.”
The Bucks landing a plethora of young talent to build around is tantalizing enough, creating a new nucleus of young players that have All-Star potential in Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson.
They also create the opportunity of replenishing their draft capital, bringing back three first-round picks that they don’t currently have, thanks to previous trades.
Why the Pistons Make the Deal
While some Detroit Pistons fans may feel some sentimentality towards Ivey and Thompson, the prospect of landing a superstar like Antetokounmpo is too sweet to pass up.
The Eastern Conference’s shocking No. 4 seed last season would catapult themselves into the conversation for championship contention by landing the former 2021 Finals MVP.
“With Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum out for most (and potentially all) of the 2025-26 campaign, the East has rarely been as open as it is now. And a team headlined by Cade Cunningham and Antetokounmpo would have as good a chance as any to represent the conference in the Finals,” continued Bailey.
“In other words, Detroit would have two top 10-15 players, with a supporting cast that would still include a rim-running double-double machine (Jalen Duren), shooting (from Duncan Robinson) and a promising young wing (Holland).”
If the Milwaukee Bucks don’t want to limit themselves in terms of suitors and risk holding onto Antetokounmpo too long and letting him walk in free agency, they would be smart to start laying the groundwork now for a future trade and set themselves up for a bright future.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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