Where Do the Brooklyn Nets Go if They Land Giannis Antetokounmpo?

The Nets reportedly view Antetokounmpo as a prime target, and with the Greek Freak open to exploring options outside of Milwaukee, Brooklyn could get its next superstar.

There has been plenty of debate on whether or not the Nets should go after Antetokounmpo. On the one hand, he could bring relevancy to a franchise playing second fiddle to the New York Knicks at the moment. On the other hand, perhaps it's best to trust the process and build a team organically through the draft.

Regardless of public opinion, the Nets are heavily involved in these trade rumors, which begs the question: What happens if they actually land Antetokounmpo?

Despite only having been in New York City for 13 seasons, Brooklyn is no stranger to landing superstar talent. Less than six years ago, the franchise welcomed all-time greats Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, building a legitimate title contender.

While the experiment was a failure, the Nets were not illogical in their process of building such a playoff team. Less than two years after acquiring the superstar duo, they made a blockbuster trade to bring another all-time great toward the end of his prime, James Harden. The trio would be fantastic on the court together, but injuries and a toe on the line kept Brooklyn from the promised land.

Now, Brooklyn has the chance to write a new and potentially great chapter of the franchise, but it won't just come with Antetokounmpo. If the Nets are going all in, they need to be aggressive. They can't be satisfied with pairing the Greek Freak with the current roster. There has to be at least one other elite player joining him and a system in place.

Speaking of a system in place, Brooklyn also needs to learn from the mistakes of the Bucks. Milwaukee captured a special 2021 championship with a system that worked: Antetokounmpo supplemented by defensive pieces and shooters such as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez.

Now, of those four, only Antetokounmpo and Lopez remain. Holiday was shipped off in a trade to bring in Damian Lillard, whose time in Wisconsin has been underwhelming with injuries and missed opportunities.

Middleton, a fan favorite and hero of the 2021 NBA Finals, was moved at this year's trade deadline for Kyle Kuzma. His half-season with the Bucks was disappointing, to say the least.

Antetokounmpo is 30 years old; he doesn't have time to wait for the roster around him to develop. If Brooklyn wants to compete with him at the helm, there has to be a legitimate championship roster ready to go by the time the 2025-26 season tips off, or else that chapter could end worse than the previous one did: in flames.