All good things must come to an end, and that appears to be the case for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reports emerged Wednesday that Antetokounmpo is “ready for a new home” at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the upcoming offseason, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Several teams are beginning to make aggressive offers, and the Bucks are starting to take a look at what’s on the table, Charania added.
Antetokounmpo has been with the Bucks throughout his 13-year career, and he has helped build a winning culture in Milwaukee. During his tenure, he became a nine-time All-Star, made nine All-NBA teams, five All-Defensive teams, won the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year award, took home two MVP awards, and, most importantly, in 2021, he won an NBA championship while becoming Finals MVP.
A player of that calibre is a lot to lose for the Bucks, but the relationship between the two sides has clearly soured as Milwaukee has struggled this season, sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference at 18-27.
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It appears the Bucks are on the verge of a much-needed rebuild, and if Antetokounmpo doesn’t want to play through the down years, here are five realistic landing spots for the Greek Freak.
Knicks receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony
Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Guerschon Yabusele, Ariel Hukporti, 2026 first-round pick swap, 2026 first-round pick (via Wizards, top-eight protected), 2030 first-round pick swap
Arguably, no team needs a pick-me-up right now like the Knicks. New York was on top of the world not long ago; they captured the NBA Cup on Dec. 16 and were sitting second in the East at 18-7.
However, since then, not much has gone right for the Knicks, going 11-11 in that span, and before winning their last four games, they had lost nine of 11 contests.
The Knicks are on the verge of becoming title favourites, and adding Giannis to that mix will definitely push them there. They already have Jalen Brunson playing at an MVP level, and you add Giannis by his side, there may not be a better duo in the NBA.
Not only is Giannis a near-30-point-per-game scorer, but he is also elite defensively, which is exactly what the Knicks could use. Karl-Anthony Towns is a well-below-average defender, and having him guard the paint allows opponents to attack the rim at will. Swapping Towns out for Giannis will instantly improve New York’s defence, which is quite good elsewhere with OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.
Giannis’ scoring capabilities will also add a second late-game option next to Brunson. As I’m sure Mike Brown would feel beyond confident with either of them having the ball in their hands.
Timberwolves receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Jaden McDaniels, DeMar DeRozan, Maxime Raynaud, 2028 first-round pick swap (from Timberwolves)
Kings receive: Julius Randle, Jaylen Clark
The Timberwolves have constantly fallen short in the postseason with a lack of consistent scoring to support Anthony Edwards. Giannis will be the perfect option to accompany Edwards into the playoffs.
Julius Randle has struggled to produce in big games, while Jaden McDaniels is mostly effective on the defensive side of the court. Giannis is a proven big game performer with an NBA title to show for it, and McDaniels’ defence won’t even be missed.
Giannis’ 28 points per game this season would put him as the second-leading scorer on the Timberwolves. Edwards is currently averaging 29.4 points, and Randle has 22.4, but beyond them, Minnesota’s next highest scorer is McDaniels with just 14.6 points per game.
Minnesota currently sits sixth in the West, and clearly needs the help if they have hopes of dethroning the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs atop the conference. The star power of Giannis and his abilities all over the court could make him exactly what Minnesota has always needed to get over the hump to an NBA Championship.
Heat receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Kel’el Ware, 2030 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick
Out of any team on this list, I don’t think there’s a team that desperately needs a star as much as the Heat does. Norman Powell has been leading the Heat offensively all season, but we’ve never seen him have to lead a team before, and it’s unclear if he’s up for the challenge, considering the Heat are 25-23.
Bam Adebayo is more of a defensive leader, and Tyler Herro just hasn’t worked out the way Miami thought he would. Herro is constantly battling injuries and has never appeared in a full season; he’s played in just 11 games this campaign.
Giannis will come in and instantly be the face of the Heat franchise. He’d be the team’s leading scorer, and his ability to attack the paint would allow him to slot in perfectly to Erik Spoelstra’s system.
The Heat score the eighth-highest percentage of points in the paint across the NBA, while Giannis scores 67 per cent of his points in the paint. Giannis, alongside Powell and Adebayo, should instantly make the Heat more of a challenge to the East’s powerhouses like the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.
Raptors receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick swap, 2028 first-round pick swap
The Raptors have been coming into their own this season with the arrival of Brandon Ingram and with Scottie Barnes continuing to play at an All-Star level. They sit fourth in the East and have achieved some impressive victories recently.
Even with this regular-season success, they don’t appear to be a title contender just yet. However, add Giannis and that all changes. The Greek Freak is lethal at attacking the rim, and that is something the Raptors desperately lack. RJ Barrett is practically the only Raptors player who regularly drives to the basket, but I’m sure Toronto would be more than willing to swap him for Giannis.
It’s impossible to ignore the lack of shooting the Raptors roster would have with Barnes, Ingram and Giannis. However, the shooting may not be missed entirely when you have a three-headed monster of forwards coming down the lane.
Toronto is also not all that consistent offensively; the Raptors rank 20th in the NBA in effective field-goal percentage at 53.5 per cent, but Giannis, who boasts a 66 effective field-goal percentage, should provide a consistent level of scoring that would make the Raptors a top team in the East.
Portland Trail Blazers
Nets receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony
Bucks receive: Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant, 2028 first-round pick (via Magic), 2031 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick
The Blazers are one of the premier young up-and-coming teams in the NBA. With a core of Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan, they seem poised to break through in the very near future.
Giannis could be the ideal piece to help them take that next step, while serving as the veteran that could mould these young pieces into perennial superstars. His presence could also alleviate pressure off the youngsters and allow them to really find their groove.
Giannis would also be walking into two reunions on the Blazers: Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. Injuries deprived the world of seeing what Giannis and Lillard could really do alongside one another, but I’m sure they’d be willing to show everyone what they missed in a different uniform.
As for Holiday, he and Giannis won the 2021 NBA Championship together and always showcased great chemistry. That winning culture in Portland could provide the Blazers with a one-way ticket to the top of the West.
