On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Ranking five head-spinning trade scenarios for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Monday night's rigged crazy NBA Draft lottery may lead to an offseason of unprecedented player movement. Stars such as Phoenix's Kevin Durant, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid or even Boston's Jaylen Brown could be available in trades.
All of them would yield impressive returns, but the crown jewel of potentially available players this summer is Milwaukee's 30-year-old superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.4 PPG last season), who is reportedly open to a trade that would earn the Bucks a king's ransom.
With the draft order set, it's time to cook up realistic trade scenarios for the league's most dominant force. These trades are ranked from least to most likely:
5) Giannis forces his way to Los Angeles
Lakers receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, 2031 first-round pick, 2026/2028/2030 first- round pick swaps
Why it could happen: Superstars with the kind of sweat equity Antetokounmpo has earned with Milwaukee typically have some say in where they get traded. If Giannis tells the Bucks that he only wants to go to the Lakers to team with Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the Lakers at least have a couple of good assets to offer.
Why it's unlikely to happen: The Bucks would really be doing Giannis a solid by trading him to the Lakers because the next four teams can top L.A.'s offer.
4) Mavericks continue to live in the present
Mavericks receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: No. 1 overall pick in 2025 draft (Cooper Flagg), P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, Max Christie
Why it could happen: After his unconscionable dealing of Luka Doncic this past season, Dallas GM Nico Harrison stressed the importance of his team's three- to four-year championship window. While you could argue that Duke's Flagg will fit into Harrison's "defense wins championships" vision, Giannis would fit a helluva lot better for the next three to four years.
Why it's unlikely to happen: ESPN has reported that the Mavericks will select Flagg with the first overall pick. And it'd be insane if Dallas ownership allowed Harrison to trade another franchise savior for a veteran superstar.
3) Rockets blast into contention
Rockets receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, pick No. 10 in 2025 draft, Suns 2027 first-rounder, swap rights on the best 2029 first-round pick among Rockets, Mavericks and Suns
Why it could happen: This gives Milwaukee everything it could want in a deal for Antetokoumpo: draft capital and young talent who can help it stay competitive now and excel in the future.
Why it's unlikely to happen: This doesn't necessarily solve the Rockets' playoff scoring woes — typically that scoring punch must come from wing or perimeter players. Thus, the Rockets may actually be better off trading a much smaller package for Durant, allowing the majority of their young core to stay intact and continue to grow, and hope that KD is enough to get them over the hump.
2) Spurs giddy up their rebuild
Spurs receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Picks No. 2 and No. 14 in the 2025 draft, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Atlanta 2027 first-rounder
Why it could happen: The basketball gods have smiled upon San Antonio, gifting it the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which will likely be Rutgers' Dylan Harper, a potential franchise point guard. Suddenly, the Spurs have that pick, another lottery pick and two young studs in Castle and Vassell to offer for Antetokoumpo. And if that isn't enough, they can even throw in the Hawks' unprotected 2027 first-round pick. That's a great package for Giannis!
Why it's unlikely to happen: It might break our collective brains watching 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama and 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo on the court together. It's just too much wingspan for the human brain to handle.
Joking aside, the only reasons Milwaukee would consider turning this offer down would be if Giannis told them he's staying or if the Thunder trump the Spurs.
1) Thunder hit the accelerator after failing to capture the 2025 NBA title
Thunder receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, picks No. 14 and No. 25 in 2025 draft, 76ers 2026 first-round pick (protected 1-4), Jazz 2026 first-round pick (protected 1-8), 2027 first-round swap rights with the Clippers, 2028 first-round swap rights with the Mavericks
Why it could happen: Thunder have 29 draft picks between now and 2031 and already a roster full of talent. They must cash their chips in at some point and could easily outbid any other team's offer. If this isn't enough, they have a ton of additional first-rounders and young prospects they could throw into the deal.
Why it's unlikely to happen: The Thunder are the betting favorites to win the 2025 NBA title, so it'd be surprising if they won it all and then made such a massive trade.
More must-reads:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo sparked rumors with surprise visit to fellow star
- Phil Knight reveals whether he still wants to buy NBA team
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Kings Predicted to Send Malik Monk to Lakers for $66 Million Duo in Offseason Trade
As the 2025-26 NBA season nears, one team that continues to be the subject of trade rumors is the Sacramento Kings. Of course, the Kings elected to keep their core of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVien together this offseason despite many around the league expecting them to begin a rebuild. Sacramento also made some notable additions to their roster this summer as they selected Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud in the 2025 draft and added Dennis Schroder in free agency. While the Kings have upgraded their roster this offseason, some of their players continue to be in trade rumors, primarily for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga who Sacramento is reportedly targeting. For the Kings, multiple players have come up in trad rumors this summer but none more than Malik Monk who is coming off the best season of his NBA career. Despite this, the Kings have elected to keep Monk thus far but that could change as they continue to look for ways to upgrade their roster even more this offseason to chase a playoff spot next season. Kings predicted to trade Malik Monk to Lakers With this in mind, SB Nations’ Jacob Rude recently released a mock trade that would send Malik Monk to the Los Angeles Lakers for two players. In the trade, the Kings would land Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and a lottery protected 2031 first-round pick from the Lakers in return for Monk. This trade does not make a ton of sense for the Kings as they would swap one of the best scorers on their roster for two veterans who struggled last season and a lottery protected first-round pick. Both Vincent and Kleber would be solid additions to the Kings’ roster as they would fill two glaring holes in their rotation, but Sacramento would likely want more in return for Monk, especially with him coming off the best season of his career. Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the Kings would agree to this trade as they could possibly receive a larger return for their veteran guard from another team this offseason.
Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
Agent David Mulugheta Closes in on $2 Billion Milestone as Micah Parsons’ Contract Standoff Intensifies
Jerry Jones is very unique in the way he does business. The longtime Dallas Cowboys owner dragged out contract negotiations for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb for no particular reason. This offseason, he’s doing the same with Micah Parsons. Until Jones gets things settled, Persons — a two-time All-Pro — likely won’t be taking the field. David Mulugheta, Parsons’ agent, loves that his client is fighting for every cent he can obtain from Jones. He’ll have Parsons’ back to the bitter end. It’s what makes him one of the sports industry’s most effective agents. According to Forbes, Mulugheta has $58 million in maximum commissions. That’s the seventh-highest figure among North American agents, and the most for any football agent. Only Joel Segal (No. 14: $51 million) and Drew Rosenhaus (No. 17: $45 million) joined him on Forbes’ top 20 list. Mulugheta’s commissions obviously don’t include what he’ll eventually add from Parsons’ deal. Assuming Parsons’ pact is the next one Mulugheta completes, it will push him past $2 billion in player contracts. At this moment, he has an estimated $1.93 billion in player contracts to his name, courtesy of Jordan Love and Jalen Ramsey, among others. Meanwhile, Parsons did now show up to Dallas’ final practice before their Week 1 preseason game last Thursday. His presence today excited fans, but it came merely in a supportive capacity. He remained on the sidelines with his jersey draped on his shoulders all day. Mulugheta and Parsons seem to be doing everything they can to hammer out a deal. Jones apparently doesn’t want to play ball because he believed he and Parsons agreed to a contract at a dinner earlier this offseason. Mulugheta wasn’t present for the meal, though, so Parsons (rightfully) assumed it wasn’t an official negotiation. This led him to request a trade on the first day of August. As mentioned, Jones has a habit of making things more complicated than they need to be. The end result of this whole shenanigan will probably be Parsons signing a massive extension that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB the week of the Cowboys’ Week 1 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. If that’s the case, Jones will have once again dominated TV conversation without real consequence. However, if this tactic is ever going to bite Jones in the butt, it will be with Parsons. The 26-year-old edge rusher, like Jones, doesn’t operate conventionally. Whether he and Mulugheta elect to continue their relationship with Jones will be one of season’s biggest stories if he doesn’t end up signing before games begin.
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL to ensure that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after some offensive emails that he sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
