The trade buzz around Giannis Antetokounmpo will not stop until he’s traded. It simply will not. This is the best player to hit the rumor mill in a long time. Perhaps since James Harden was a Rocket? The Luka Dončić trade was monumental, but unsurprisingly, nobody saw it coming.
By contrast, the writing has been on the wall for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. As long as he’s in the rumors, new suitors will emerge. The Orlando Magic were never linked to him before, but now, they’re seen as a suitor.
Here’s a deal that gets Antetokounmpo to Disney.
The Trade Proposal
Milwaukee Bucks receive:
- Paolo Banchero
- Jonathan Isaac
- Wendell Carter Jr.
- 2032 First-Round Pick (ORL)
Orlando Magic receive:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
Why the Milwaukee Bucks Do the Deal
Whether diehard fans like it or not, optics matter. A trade needs to look good for a front office to sell it to a fanbase. That said, the Bucks will not find a player with more cache than Banchero.
Granted, he’s been inconsistent since being selected first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero has looked like a franchise player at times and an albatross max contract at others. Still, he’s likely to have more potential than anyone else Milwaukee could acquire.
That’s why they’re not getting a mountain of future first-round picks. If that’s a priority for Milwaukee, Orlando won’t get in the mix. This is the only first-round pick they can trade after emptying the coffers for Desmond Bane.
Should they really destroy all of their future flexibility?
Why The Orlando Magic Do The Deal
On the Magic’s end, this deal will only be palatable if they’re losing faith in Banchero.
If they still think he can be a franchise-changing talent, they won’t want to do this. Fair enough. If they are starting to panic about his productivity, cutting ties now could be best for both sides.
In that event, bringing in a top-five player in his prime is the best move they could make. Nobody can question Antetokounmpo’s stature as a franchise player. In a weak East, pairing him with Franz Wagner could punch the Magic’s ticket to the NBA Finals.
The Bigger Picture
Giving up on a franchise-defining player is never easy, whether you’re doing it quickly or slowly.
Moving Banchero already would sting for Orlando because of what wasn’t. They envisioned building a contender around him. Giving up on that dream already would not be easy.
Moving Antetokounmpo would sting for Milwaukee because of what was. He’s the best player in the history of their franchise. They won an NBA title with him leading the charge. Unfortunately, it now looks like they won’t win another.
That’s why Antetokounmpo is dominating trade rumors.
