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NBA Rumors: 2 Perfect teams for Giannis Antetokounmpo if he were … – Sir Charles in Charge
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports)
NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo may want to consider joining a rebuilding team to fulfill his dream of winning more NBA titles.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has to be unhappy with the way the Milwaukee Bucks have lost in the playoffs in the two years after winning his first NBA title and if the franchise isn’t careful, it’s not unrealistic to believe that they could end up losing the two-time NBA MVP.
If – and that’s a big “if” – Giannis is unhappy with how the Bucks have operated since winning their first NBA Championship in 2021, it couldn’t come at a worse time considering he’s due for a contract extension.
Milwaukee is likely to offer the seven-time All-Star big money but Giannis is looking beyond that – he wants to be on a team that can compete for an NBA title. And that may not be the Bucks anymore.
“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing,” Antetokounmpo said when he spoke to the Times.
Giannis can’t leave the Bucks freely until 2025. But in today’s climate, he could theoretically demand a trade next summer if Milwaukee has another disappointing playoff run this season. If that were to happen, the easiest way to solve his demand would be to trade him to a souped-up team.
The Los Angeles Lakers will immediately come to mind. However, the purple and gold may not have the assets to make a Giannis trade materialize.
One other natural Eastern Conference team that would make sense is the Miami Heat. However, even with Bam Adebayo, I’m not sure they have the right additional assets that can pique the interest of the Bucks.
Also, there’s a chance that Giannis’ role would fundamentally change on a team like the Lakers or Heat. For example, if he joins the Lakers, he will not be the main guy in the mix. He will have to slide down behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, something that is certain to drive down his numbers and playing time.
There’s no guarantee Giannis would be fine with doing that.
If Giannis feels the Bucks struggling to find the right players to provide support to him, perhaps targeting rebuilding teams with promising young talent would be the way to go.
The Oklahoma City Thunder was mentioned as a potential landing spot, a team that has budding stars in the mix.
That includes Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Chet Holmgreen. Further, they have nine first-round picks in the next three years that could make sense for the Bucks in terms of trade compensation.
If not the Thunder, another team that could make sense for Giannis would be the San Antonio Spurs. They are another team in rebuild mode although most are expecting a better showing for the 2023-24 season especially with top rookie pick Victor Wembanyama in the fold.
The Spurs, like the Thunder, also have promising young stars in the mix such as Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan. But seeing an Antetokounmpo-Wembanyama twin tower combination would be more interesting for San Antonio.
I’m sure Giannis would also have no issue playing for head coach Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
Giannis Antetokounmpo knows he has options. After tasting NBA gold, it is understandable that he wants more. Maybe he may have to leave Milwaukee to find it.
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