“I mean, [it’s] the same thing with any player like that…. it’s like any star in the league that stays with one team, you just expect them to be in one jersey, and anywhere else just doesn’t seem right at all,” said Brandin Podziemski when highlighting his opinion on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential trade. Very few players have been in the discussion for a trade this off-season as much as The Greek Freak, even though he is the cornerstone of the Bucks, and someone who just inked a 3 year, $186 million extension. However, in the aftermath of another disappointing playoff run, the shift is as possible as anything. If the Dallas Mavericks taught us anything, it is that the fanbase won’t take lightly to losing a star player. Therefore, a senior reporter believes certain things need to be kept in mind first.

NBA journalist Stefan Bondy recently appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, where he highlighted his belief that the 30-year-old will end up being moved. However, he also said the chances are only “60/40.” Making his reason explicit, he added, “If the Milwaukee Bucks don’t see a deal that makes a lot of sense for them, I would not pull the trigger if I’m them. Um, you know, we saw the backlash that, uh, that Nico Harrison got by trading Luka Doncic, the player that the fan base absolutely adored. To me, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the greatest player in Milwaukee Bucks’ history. He’s their number one asset, really their only asset, if you look down their roster. If you give him up for something for pennies on the dollar, um, that franchise is going to be in a really rough spot.”

A Giannis Antetokounmpo trade would certainly affect the Milwaukee Bucks and the Eastern Conference as a whole. After all, as Bondy also highlighted, “You’re looking at an Eastern Conference that’s wide open. Uh, you mentioned Jayson Tatum. He’s probably not going to be available for most, if not all, of next season. Uh, the Pacers are probably the cream of the crop, uh, still, and I think I would put the Knicks at number two. I mean the Sixers you mentioned, they could have make a big leap, but you never know with Joel Embiid. Uh, so yeah, I go one, uh, Indiana to the Knicks, and then it’s really just wide open.” The Bucks can take advantage of this opportunity only if they make good use of it and acquire someone to give them a bigger edge than The Greek Freak.

The Milwaukee Bucks front office itself isn’t too enthusiastic about parting ways with the power forward. Why would they, when the player’s 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists average showed that he continues to dominate? The player would especially be needed now to lead the Bucks, given that Damian Lillard’s return status is unknown. That is why NBA journalist Marc Stein reported last week that the team’s front office is hoping “the presence of Rivers as coach can provide some sort of boost. Antetokounmpo and Rivers are believed to have a strong working relationship, which Rivers, annoyed as he clearly was to be greeted by paparazzi outside of a Beverly Hills restaurant a few days ago — apparently tried to convey by telling TMZ: ‘I talk to him all the time.’”

Unfortunately, it would be hard for even Doc Rivers to highlight a positive given that the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs 3 years in a row. They have won only one postseason series since their championship win in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns.

Should Antetokounmpo request a trade, the Bucks will likely honor that request. However, Stefan Bondy added, “If he comes out with a list and says ‘I want to go here, here, and here,’ but the Bucks say, ‘Well, those teams aren’t going to give us what we want.’” Judging from what he said about the team earlier, they certainly won’t let the Nigerian-Greek player go to just any team. That is a bummer, as it would close the door on the Toronto Raptors as a potential next home.

Was Giannis Antetokounmpo speculated to go to the Toronto Raptors?

A few days ago, the Toronto Star sports reporter Doug Smith added some spice to the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors. According to him, “there is mutual interest between Antetokounmpo and the Raptors.” This one line was enough to begin speculation on whether the Eastern Conference franchise is on The Greek Freak’s radar.

NBA Analysis believes that a trade can work if the Milwaukee Bucks receive: Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, 2028 first-round pick, and the 2030 first-round pick. In exchange, the Toronto Raptors would, of course, receive Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton. If Giannis wishes to pair up with both Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, then the Raptors could part ways with Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Ja’Kobe Walter, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. They would also control their future first-round picks, including this year’s No. 9 overall selection, which would anyway need to be included to make the deal work.

Acquiring a $54.1 million player would require a lot of thought from the Raptors’ front office. After all, CBS Sports reporter Jasmyn Wimbish highlighted that the Raptors built around Barnes, and signed Ingram for a three-year, $120 million extension. Plus, would the Bucks really want RJ Barrett, who, in his first full season with the team, averaged only 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, as a replacement for Giannis? There are still a few complications, from both sides, that make a deal between the two teams a bit uncertain at the moment.

The off-season is still in its early stages for all but 2 of the NBA teams, who will soon compete in the Finals. Therefore, other options might soon pop up for the Milwaukee Bucks, only if Giannis makes up his mind about leaving. Only time will tell if a better option than the Toronto Raptors pops up or not.