Could Brooklyn Nets be Third Team in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade?

With so much chatter surrounding the Brooklyn Nets' interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo, GM Sean Marks' best move may be to get involved in trade talks—just not as a destination for the "Greek Freak."

When Marks rebuilt the Nets for the first time starting in 2016, he took on bad contracts in exchange for young assets and draft capital, typically as part of a move to help reroute a superstar. If Brooklyn decides chasing Antetokounmpo isn't the right path to go down ahead of its second year rebuilding, a similar formula could be followed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and GM Sam Presti have heavily relied on this process to build the powerhouse they are now, especially around NBA Draft time. Cason Wallace—a highly utilized member of the Thunder's rotation—was acquired by taking on Davis Bertans' contract from the Dallas Mavericks. By doing so, Oklahoma City moved up from the 12th to 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, marking an important moment of the franchise's turnaround.

A situation involving Antetokounmpo is likely different from the Wallace transaction, but the principle remains the same: take on bloated contracts and get rewarded.

For example, if Antetokounmpo decides Houston is his preferred destination, Marks could enter negotiations with a willingness to take on Fred VanVleet's $44.8 million 2025-25 cap hit (assuming the Rockets accept his team option as an avenue to acquire Antetokounmpo). By adding VanVleet, Marks could further bolster his index of draft picks by helping out a team with plenty of expendable capital.

But this method isn't intingent on Houston being Antetokounmpo's desire. Whether its the Rockets, San Antonio Spurs or even the Thunder, the Nets should be involved—unless they're not targeting him themselves.

When it appears superstars could be available, alarms should sound in the front offices of the league's rebuilders. And for a team like Brooklyn, which despite having an apparent interest in finding an external cornerstone, the assets gained from helping facilitate a blockbuster deal may be more useful down the line than chasing one itself.

For the fans worried that the Nets' insertion into Antetokounmpo trade talks could be a sign of an inability to learn from past mistakes, it's important to remember how Marks initially got this franchise off the ground some nine years ago.