It’s becoming more apparent by the week — by the day? — that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be on the move this offseason.
Months of speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee have led to this point, with Antetokounmpo set to enter the second-to-last year of his contract. And if Antetokounmpo is indeed preferring to play elsewhere, the Bucks may opt to move him if they sense he has no interest in signing a long-term extension with the franchise.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam said recently that he expects resolution in the matter prior to the NBA draft, which is scheduled for June 23.
Here’s a ranking of the five best landing spots for Giannis Antetokounmpo, based on fit:
Is this a case where Cleveland would be willing to part with Evan Mobley? It seems that would be required for this deal to work, and the Cavaliers have given every indication that they want to run this group back after reaching the Eastern Conference finals.
On paper, this would present an interesting — if not forced? — pairing of stars at different points in their careers. Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are each talented scorers. All do best when the ball is in their hands, and adding Antetokounmpo would require each to sacrifice parts of their games to make it work.
That said, it’s clear the Cavs need to tweak parts of their roster, as the Knicks blew past them in the conference finals, and Antetokounmpo certainly is a dangerous player. It might take some time, however, for it to all jell.
This was a bit of a surprise addition to the list of suitors, given that Antetokounmpo reportedly wants to play out East. The Trail Blazers were a surprise this season under interim coach Tiago Splitter, who embraced his team’s youth and athleticism.
While turnovers were an issue, Portland looked to play quickly, and Deni Avdija blossomed into a first-time All-Star. The big question here is whether Antetokounmpo would really sign a long-term extension with the franchise. If the Trail Blazers get any indication that he’s not interested in that, it doesn’t make sense for Portland — which would still be significantly behind contenders in the West like the Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers and Rockets — to take a two-year flier on Antetokounmpo.
There’s also the matter of new owner Tom Dundon, whose first few months at the helm have been marked by cost-cutting measures.
Interestingly, assuming both would remain in Portland with any trade, this deal would reunite Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, a pair of guards he called teammates with the Bucks for multiple seasons.
For years under Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics have opted to roll out an offense in which all five starters can space and shoot the ball. That changed this season when Boston traded away Kristaps Porziņģis and let Al Horford walk in free agency. And while Neemias Queta provided value as a rim-running big who could protect the rim, Antetokounmpo is not an accurate perimeter shooter.
Another area where this is something of an awkward fit is pace. Antetokounmpo is the premier fast break player in the NBA. With his size, strength and agility, no one in the league is better at scooping up boards and then going coast-to-coast. The Celtics, however, are far more deliberate in the half-court. Boston ranked dead last in pace this season, generating just 95.58 possessions per 48 minutes.
And while Antetokounmpo can create offense in the half-court, it’s his ability to run the floor that makes him special. The positive is that, with shooters all over the floor around him, Antetokounmpo would likely see his assists numbers climb.
This is one based on familiarity. The Magic named Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney as their next head coach after firing Jamahl Mosley. And Sweeney is intimately familiar with Antetokounmpo, after Sweeney spent four seasons in Milwaukee (from 2014-18) as an assistant coach, most of that under then-coach Jason Kidd.
Sweeney was credited with helping elevate Antetokounmpo as an offensive force and a perennial All-Star; Sweeney’s first season in Milwaukee was Antetokounmpo’s second in the NBA, and Antetokounmpo’s first two All-Star selections came in Sweeney’s final two seasons with the Bucks.
The Magic struggled at times to incorporate a cohesive offense with both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, given that both often required to be on the ball to shine. By swapping one of them with Antetokounmpo, that should allow the remaining player to play a little more freely, given that Antetokounmpo has a very different skill set from both.
The big concern here, however, is shooting. Orlando struggled significantly from the perimeter, and Antetokounmpo only deepens that issue. Either way, if it is indeed the Magic, Sweeney will know exactly what to do with Antetokounmpo.
This is a pair that would seemingly satisfy all parties, assuming Milwaukee does have an interest in Miami’s assets. For one, this is reportedly Antetokounmpo’s preferred destination. For another, Antetokounmpo’s agent, Alex Saratsis, is also Heat captain Bam Adebayo’s agent. Presumably, the two would be in lockstep for their vision about what the pairing could look like on the floor.
The Heat also embraced pace this season, leading the league in the stat, at 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. Antetokounmpo would give Miami the premier downhill threat in the NBA to work with.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, one of the league’s top basketball minds, would suddenly be coaching his best player since he had LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in their primes. Miami, much like Orlando, would be suited to add a perimeter shooter or two to fill out the roster.
And Antetokounmpo, who reportedly wants to be on the East Coast (given its proximity to Greece) and in a city with a vibrant community, would seemingly have no issue signing an extension with the Heat.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spots amid trade rumors
