A hotly chased Greek Freak this summer
The noise is getting louder by the day: Giannis Antetokounmpo could well leave Milwaukee this summer, and the queue of suitors is growing. Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are all in the mix, but the Bucks are holding out for a price many rival teams have already called “unrealistic”.
Boston faces a tricky call. Jaylen Brown has just posted the best individual season of his career and still hasn’t turned 30 — trading him for a Giannis who is now over 30 is a gamble. But Brown has also made his second straight All-NBA team, which means Boston would be selling high on a player at the peak of his value. The Celtics would also need to weigh up what to do with young prospects such as Hugo Gonzalez, promising enough this season but nowhere near offering the instant impact of the Greek Freak.
Miami and Orlando stuck in a stalemate with Milwaukee
The Heat and the Bucks are in a proper stand-off. Miami has to work out exactly which players, and especially which draft picks, would make a final offer strong enough to matter, without leaving the roster stripped bare around Bam Adebayo and a possible Antetokounmpo. There is also the issue of whether the Heat would be willing to take on the heavy contracts Milwaukee wants rid of — Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma or Myles Turner — salaries that would be tough to swallow in their current position.
Orlando, meanwhile, keeps cropping up in the rumours, helped by the existing connection between Giannis and Sean Sweeney, the Magic’s new head coach. President Jeff Weltman won’t get into specific talks, but he is clearly enjoying the attention: “To be part of that conversation, you have to have talent. I take that as a compliment — and I know we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
on MathODDS
A NBA offseason you won’t want to miss
This trade chase is one of the most electric storylines of the NBA offseason. Every team involved will need to strike the right balance between a package Milwaukee can’t ignore and keeping its own core intact. Miami appears to be Giannis’ preferred landing spot in the latest reports, but the Bucks’ demands remain sky-high. The next round of talks should be explosive — the market on the Greek Freak’s next destination is wide open!
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