Giannis Antetokounmpo trade: debating potential options for the Bucks | The Kevin O’Connor Show
Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor and NBA contributing writer Tom Haberstroh discuss hypothetical deals for Milwaukee could make around its superstar forward - and the difficulties they would need to overcome to get a deal done. Hear the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
So let's open up the trade machine here and think about the trade.
It's way too early, but that's also not too early at all because what if the San Antonio Spurs pick up the phone and they offer the Milwaukee Bucks today?
Hey, we'll give you Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sohan and our best friend Zach Collins, our tank machine, Zach Collins, he can help you seven future first round draft picks.
So what if the Thunder call up and they say we'll give you Isaiah Hartenstein, Aaron Wiggins, Usman Jiang with eight future first round draft picks.
Or what if the Warriors call and they say we'll trade you Andrew Wiggins D Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kamina Pods with two future first round picks and a swamp of those three.
If you're the Bucks, are you thinking about any of them, do any of them have appeal to you or are you just trying to make it work around Giannis because he signed for so long term and you're just trying to move other pieces around?
I think it's Golden State.
Um They have actual real playoffs, I think real players but so do the Thunder, the th the Thunder could trade, you know, real players.
The question in my mind from the OKC side of things is Isaiah Hardens Sein hasn't played but the vision for Isaiah Hartenstein is like this elite rebounder, elite screener, all these things.
Giannis is not an elite screener.
I'm not saying you wouldn't trade for Giannis if you're the thunder, but there would be some diminishing returns for Giannis in that thunder ecosystem.
I'm telling you, man, I'm telling you, Kev if Milwaukee trades Giannis ended AO with that.
The key piece in the deal is Isaiah Hart Ands they're gonna riot.
They're gonna riot in Milwaukee.
So Jonathan Kingo is about to get a $30 million or whatever he gets paid.
Kamina might make Milwaukee riot too.
Pods baby.
Come on.
I mean, come on.
It's like yes, the Warriors can offer players whatever that means, Kev.
What about Houston?
They could trade the future Suns picks.
They have young guys.
How do you do you trade Fred Van Vleet?
That's the, that's the salary you probably have to move as a second apron team.
Milwaukee, you have to incorporate a third team or have some way to make the salary cap work.
And again, this is why it's so hard for Milwaukee to go all in on Damian Lillard and the contract because they don't have any picks left.
They traded a bunch of picks to get Drew holiday, then they flip Drew holiday to get Damian Lillard.
They have to recoup those assets in an, in a new CB, a environment that makes it almost impossible for you to do that.