Giannis Antetokounmpo is considering leaving the Milwaukee Bucks, and according to Shams (ESPN), he is already in active discussions with the Bucks’ front office about his future with the franchise and whether he will stay. A decision is expected sometime next week.
If he chooses to leave Milwaukee, many teams would certainly want to acquire him—but the question is who can afford it. Here are three destinations that, according to BasketballSphere, would be the best fits for the next chapter of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career.
Claim Now 1. New York Knicks
The Knicks already made a concrete offer for Giannis this past summer, but the Bucks rejected it. Still, they appear to be the most realistic option to try again. Speaking realistically about what New York could offer—they definitely have assets.
It’s well known that when a superstar wants out, the team rarely gets equal value in return. The most obvious trade structure would be sending Karl-Anthony Towns to Milwaukee in exchange for Giannis, primarily because it’s a position-for-position swap, as both players are most comfortable at power forward.
Of course, the Knicks couldn’t stop at Towns—they’d need to add more pieces. The most realistic additions would be either OG Anunoby or Miles McBride. Anunoby is an elite role player anywhere he plays, while McBride, born in 2000, has shown a lot of promise this season and last.
Another major advantage for the Knicks is that they will have a lottery pick from the Washington Wizards in the upcoming draft—a pick expected to have one of the highest chances at #1, although the draft lottery is always unpredictable. Overall, it will be a very high pick and could also be included in the trade package.
2. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have become a much more serious team this season, especially with De’Aaron Fox returning. Victor Wembanyama is considered the future of the NBA and will likely be one of the league’s faces for many years. There were already rumors this past summer that the Spurs wanted to bring the “Greek Freak” to San Antonio.
But to get him, they would need to give up a lot.
One option is that De’Aaron Fox is included in the deal—but it is uncommon for teams to have two superstar big men as their core, which would be the case if both Fox and Wembanyama stayed.
If the Spurs want to keep Fox and, of course, Wembanyama, the alternatives would be:
Because of the logjam in the frontcourt, Harrison Barnes would almost certainly be part of the deal. The Bucks also need a good guard, so Stephon Castle—averaging 17.2 points, 7.6 assists, and over 5 rebounds this season—would make sense next to Barnes.
Additionally, San Antonio owns Atlanta’s first-round pick in the upcoming draft, projected around #16, and they also have Atlanta’s 2027 pick.
3. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks may be the least popular option, but not unrealistic. To acquire Giannis, they would definitely need to include their 2024 draft pick, Zacharie Risacher. However, he alone wouldn’t be enough, so Kristaps Porzingis would likely be included as well—he’s been playing well, but his injury history makes him unreliable.
The Hawks will also have a high pick in the upcoming draft, thanks to the Pelicans’ pick, as New Orleans is having a very poor season and could end up with a top selection.
Other potential contenders mentioned include the Miami Heat, who have been trying for years to bring Giannis in, and the Golden State Warriors, although they don’t have much to offer. The Los Angeles Lakers could also be an option, but that would likely require parting ways with Austin Reaves, who is having an incredible season.
In any case, we’re in for a very interesting saga and exciting days ahead as we wait to see what will happen between Milwaukee and the “Greek Freak.”
