Why the Bucks’ Giannis decision is the NBA’s ‘biggest domino’
Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by senior NBA writer Tim Bontemps to discuss Milwaukee’s looming deadline to potentially deal its superstar and why there is still a chance that Antetokounmpo is back with the team this upcoming season. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
Unfortunately, we're back in this same circular thing with Giannis.
Will he get traded?
Will he not get traded?
obviously if Giannis does get traded, that is the single biggest domino short of Nikola Joki that could really change in the league this summer.
and then that gets into where does he go?
Does he go to Miami?
Does he go to Orlando?
Does he go to Cleveland?
Does he go to Boston?
Does he go somewhere else, right?
Like, whatever trade happens with Giannis, in theory it will probably end up being a three or four team trade just 'cause as you know with the, the new apron rules, every team, every trade almost has to become a three or four team trade with a salary that big.
And then if it does happen, okay, what are all the ripple effects of that, right?
That's why, you know, I thought when you go back to Taylor Jenkins' introductory press conference, Jimmy Hazell, the, the co-owner of the Bucks, to me laid it out pretty clearly.
They're either gonna trade Giannis by the draft, or they're gonna pivot and make moves to try to keep Giannis.
So then, okay, if they do keep Giannis and they don't trade him by the draft, well, then they've got three first round picks.
They've got some big expiring money.
Can they go out and make some moves to make the team better?
Right?
So I think one way or the other, Milwaukee's at the center of a lot of what's gonna happen in the NBA this off season, and we'll probably know between now and the draft what's gonna happen with Giannis, which will set up a lot of other things.
I'm glad you hit on the possibility of he still stays a Buck because I, I think everybody assumes he's gonna be gone.
Well, they haven't traded him yet.
And if he's on the team on October 1st, I think he's gonna sign the extension.
So to me, this is a, this is a Milwaukee Bucks question.
Do the Bucks look at it and say, "We don't have a path to contention now.
We've done this dance the last few years of like will he stay or won't he stay, and we need to just shake hands, say this has been an unbelievable run.
There'll be a statue.
You're the best Buck ever.
Your jersey's gonna be retired.
All this is great, but we've gotta turn the page and move forward."
Or do they say, "All right, look, we're gonna sign Giannis to this extension.
He's gonna be a Buck.
We're gonna do the best we can to make this work, and then we're gonna go try to use our draft picks to get better."
And that, whatever way they go with that decision is gonna lead to a lot of movement, and, obviously to me makes them one of the most interesting teams to watch in the league.
