Trade rumors surrounding Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo are intensifying, with recent reports suggesting he may want a change of scenery.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday that the nine-time All-Star and the Bucks will hold discussions together over the next few weeks to decide his future with the franchise that drafted him back in 2013.
There should be several teams interested in Antetokounmpo, including the New York Knicks and, potentially, the Miami Heat.
On a recent episode of “No Fouls Given”, a podcast with former NBA players Danny Green and Paul Pierce, Green said the Heat should trade five players and picks to the Bucks to land Antetokounmpo.
“You got Ke’lel Ware, [Nikola] Jovic, [Simone] Fontecchio, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and then Andrew Wiggins,” Green said about who the Heat should offer the Bucks.
Green played in the NBA for 14 years, winning three championships with the San Antonio Spurs (2014), Toronto Raptors (2019), and Los Angeles Lakers (2020).
The Antetokounmpo-Adebayo duo is enticing
Pairing Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo would give Miami one of, if not the best, front courts in the NBA.
Both players are strong defensive forces, athletic, and can jump out of the building.
But the Bucks’ asking price may be too high in Green’s scenario. It would likely leave Miami’s bench uber thin as the playoffs near. The Heat may ask to acquire at least one or two players from Milwaukee’s bench to make the deal.
Otherwise, they’d be left signing players to 10-day contracts or evaluating the talent they have with youngsters on two-way deals.
