Whenever a team faces bleak elimination in the playoffs, conversations inevitably arise among basketball fans about the future of their star players and the possibility of new destinations.
The Milwaukee Bucks are currently down 3-1 to the Indiana Pacers, being dealt an even worse hand with a torn Achilles injury to star guard Damian Lillard. As a result, the chances of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sticking around in "Brew City" are not looking very promising.
Ever since the Bucks' triumphant title victory in 2021, they haven't quite managed to replicate that level of dominance, particularly after parting ways with vital pieces of their championship core, like Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. While it's true those guys were aging and may have lost a step, the replacements brought in over the years haven't provided Giannis with a matching sense of a competitive edge.
Now, it appears their disappointing 2025 campaign might be the final straw for the storied Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee, which begs the question—where will the "Greek Freak" end up next?
If you take a look around online at the betting odds for the next team to acquire Antetokounmpo, you'll notice some clear frontrunners, such as the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. However, there's another name worth considering—though they're more of an underdog in the sweepstakes: of course, I'm referring to the Toronto Raptors.
Could the Raptors get a deal done for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Everyone knows how high Giannis Antetokounmpo is viewed within the Raptors organization, particularly among Masai Ujiri's close circle. Ujiri once marveled at the prospect of adding him to Toronto in the 2013 NBA Draft, although they were ultimately unsuccessful in those efforts.
It seems that anytime there are rumors of Giannis wanting to leave, the Raptors are always brought into the conversation. With speculation heating up now more than ever, can Toronto make an offer that outshines the competition?
What would it take?
I think what Toronto has that could easily entice the Bucks over other teams is the inclusion of franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes in a hypothetical offer. Of course, there were once rumblings of Barnes being a sought-after asset in trade discussions involving Damian Lillard or Kevin Durant, but those talks quickly got shut down.
Now, as we discuss a superstar in his prime who has several years left to contribute to a championship window, would the Raptors be willing to go slightly older at the cost of a star who is not yet in his prime but shows great promise?
It's a very hard judgment call to make. I can see both sides, but I think Barnes is held in too high regard by the Raptors' brass to be let go just like that. Then again, it is Giannis we're talking about here.
So pivoting away from Barnes, what else could the Raptors throw up in the trade machine to get a deal done?
Well, their abundance of young talent certainly makes a deal still possible, albeit probably less likely than Scottie Barnes being involved. Perhaps a package consisting of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, and a combination of draft capital could be enough to sway Milwaukee in their favor.
Quickley and Barrett's contracts easily match with Antetokounmpo's, but I am skeptical about how much the Bucks would be enticed by their potential as promising young assets. Dick is an interesting candidate, as I previously noted how he could be the odd man out in Toronto's young core; he might get the opportunity to reset and break out in Milwaukee.
So, going back to Toronto after a deal of this nature gets completed, what are we looking at moving forward? A starting lineup of, say, Jamal Shead, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jakob Poeltl?
I mean, on the defensive end, with Giannis's addition, I think this team is a force to be reckoned with. However, offensively, I believe they'll need to find a boost somewhere else. Perhaps that's where a talented bench mob can come in, or maybe the Raptors can find pieces in free agency, but that's just going too deep down the rabbit hole.
Without rambling too much more about this, I think the moral of the story I'm trying to convey is that Toronto could be a potential destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the odds of them actually taking that leap still seem hazy to me.
Consider what Coach Darko Rajakovic has fought for in establishing rapport and stability with his young core; parting with so many key pieces in pursuit of consistency could present a significant obstacle. However, we are discussing the possible acquisition of a superstar deal akin to the Kawhi Leonard trade, so the ends might justify the means.
Nevertheless, we'll have to see where this storyline takes us next as a very likely eventful 2025 offseason looms on the horizon.