The San Antonio Spurs are among the betting favorites to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo should he demand a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sports Betting AG gave the Spurs the second-best odds at +200, only behind the New York Knicks (+100). The Miami Heat (+500), Brooklyn Nets (+600) and the Boston Celtics (+1600) round up the top five bets to become Antetokounmpo’s next team.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee remains in doubt.
“We’re standing here, it’s Aug. 4. Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Aug. 4. “And so, he’s going to continue to evaluate his future.
“I reported it in mid-May that he’s evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere. And that process is continuing. There’s been some very real conversations over the past week or so. The constant question that Giannis has, though, is, ‘Can I win a championship with this roster? Is this roster going to be one for this upcoming year and 2026-2027?’ He wants to win a second championship. So, he’s asking that question over and over.”
The Bucks essentially replaced Brook Lopez, who signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, with Myles Turner. And then they got career backup point guard Cole Anthony to fill in the spot left by the injured Damian Lillard, whose remaining $103 million contract was waived and stretched to create cap room to sign Turner.
But those are not needle-movers, which makes Antetokounmpo antsy about his chance to win a coveted second ring.
B/R’s Proposed Spurs Package For Giannis
Getty Jeremy Sochan of the San Antonio Spurs high fives Stephon Castle after a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Joining forces with Victor Wembanyama could bring Antetokounmpo closer to winning a second ring that he covets.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report views the Spurs as the team that could come up with the most complete trade package that should be too good to pass up for the Bucks. The Knicks’ draft capital has dried up and they do not have a young prospect. They only have Karl-Anthony Towns as their biggest trade bait in a potential Antetokounmpo trade.
Hughes’ trade proposal is as follows:
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, 2027 first-round pick (via ATL), 2029 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick (most favorable of SAC or SAS)
A twin tower of Victor Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo, flanked by De’Aaron Fox and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper, will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Wembanyama-Antetokounmpo to Follow Duncan-Robinson Duo?
Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama can potentially pair up to make the Spurs an instant title favorite.
Hughes wrote that the Spurs “would become an instant contender by adding Giannis to last year’s version of Wembanyama.”
Only health concerns could pose a major threat to a potential Wembanyama-Antetokounmpo pairing to be the next Tim Duncan-David Robinson headliner of the next Spurs dynasty.
Wembanyama missed 36 games last season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder. He’s been cleared to return to basketball activities this offseason, he announced in July.
“But if Wemby continues to improve as expected, well…let’s just say the Oklahoma City Thunder’s clear path to a dynasty will have a major obstacle,” Hughes wrote.
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