One of the biggest moves of the 2025 NBA offseason was made on Sunday ahead of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals when the Houston Rockets pulled off a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant. Now, everybody will be curious to see which big-name superstar is on the move next, and regardless of who it ends up being, the Utah Jazz figure to be one of the teams in the running for their services.
Among the folks who have seen their name pop up in trade rumors early in the offseason is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Reports have indicated that Antetokounmpo could finally be ready to force his way out of Milwaukee, with teams across the league waiting for the green light to begin the bidding. With that in mind, let’s check out a trade pitch that would see the Jazz stun the league by pulling off a deal for Antetokounmpo.
Jazz’s Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Pitch
Jazz receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, six first-round picks
After trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the wake of their first-round exit from the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Jazz have been embracing their rebuild. They have missed out on the playoffs each of the past three seasons, amassing a treasure chest of draft picks in the process. In theory, they have been acquiring those draft picks to allow them to make a move like this one for Antetokounmpo.
Sending a trade package of this caliber should not be done lightly, but Antetokounmpo is one of the few players who is worth this sort of investment. Antetokounmpo has nine All-Star and All-NBA selections apiece, in addition to two MVP Awards and an NBA Finals victory back in 2021. This past season, he averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 60.1% from the field.
Of Utah’s 13 future first-round picks, eight of them are tradeable. In this deal, six of them would be dealt away, with the No. 5 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft being the crown jewel of them all. Beyond that, the Jazz will send their best player, Lauri Markkanen, back to Milwaukee, and a young big, Walker Kessler, who has the potential to develop into their starting center.
The Bucks could conceivably still contend, as they’d pair Markkanen up with Lillard, while also selecting a premier player with the No. 5 pick. The Jazz would give themselves a superstar worth building around, while also still having enough draft capital and assets to go out and make another move to add to their core around their new superstar.
Would Jazz, Bucks Be Interested in This Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Pitch?
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 warms up before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
It goes without saying that unless Antetokounmpo requests a trade, the Bucks aren’t going to listen to trade offers for him. In the event that happens, though, this is a pretty decent deal for Milwaukee. They get a combination of NBA-caliber talent, while also adding a ton of draft capital in the process. Trading Antetokounmpo would obviously hurt the Bucks, but this is a significant return for him.
The Jazz, meanwhile, have been waiting quite a while for an opportunity like this, which is why they are throwing the kitchen sink at Milwaukee. This is a steep investment, but if the front office feels confident that they can win with Antetokounmpo, they would be foolish to pass up this deal. Whether or not Antetokounmpo even hits the trade block remains to be seen, but if he does, it’d be tough for any other team to outbid Utah for his services.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Trade Pitch Sees Jazz Land Giannis Antetokounmpo in Stunning Deal With Bucks appeared first on Heavy Sports.