Giannis Antetokounmpo linked to one East playoff team after latest hiring

One Eastern Conference team’s recent coaching shakeup may have made it a more interesting Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destination.

The Orlando Magic on Friday hired longtime assistant coach Sean Sweeney to be the team’s next head coach. Sweeney replaced Jamahl Mosley, whom the Magic fired after the team blew a 3-1 lead in its first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.

Sweeney has been a visible fixture on NBA fans’ TV screens of late for his work with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. He’s currently in his first year as the associate head coach of the Western Conference finalist under Mitch Johnson.

A decade before moving to San Antonio, Sweeney was an assistant on the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018. There, he developed a close, personal relationship with Antetokounmpo. Giannis even credited Sweeney for helping him build his “killer mentality” and turning him into a better person on and off the court.

The Magic had already been linked to Antetokounmpo before the Sweeney hiring. The move has only fanned the flames of Magic fans hoping their team could spark trade talks for the two-time MVP.