Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Watch

[spurraider21]

while im not in favor of the trade, i have no concerns about vic/giannis pairing at all. defensively there are clearly no issues and it would be an all-timer big man duo.

and i kinda get why people have concerns about the offensive pairing, with giannis also needing space to operate, and kind of does the same thing wemby tries to do (face up from the perimeter and attack). but in reality, we've all noticed that unless he's being guarded by a slower center, that is probaby the worst version of wemby on offense. wemby as a dynamic roll man, or using off-ball action to secure inside position and having him play the more traditional big role has ended up being better for him

by bringing giannis on board, you almost force wemby to move in that direction which would be beneficial. yes, it would also call on him to shoot more 3's than he has this year, but as long as hes not trying to dance with the ball out in the perimeter like we've seen, it would be a move in a positive direction for him. basically, giannis and wemby would only be clunky if wemby continues to play in his most sub-optimal form.

 

[spurraider21]

as much as i think the spurs shouldnt make a giannis move, it makes even less sense for OKC

the best fit is fairly clearly ATL especially with that ridiculous draft asset the pelicans gifted them. they could make a trade centered around Trae, or around Jalen Johnson, and have KP as big salary ballast on an expiring either way

the raptors could definitely do something. they already pulled the trigger on kawhi and won a chip. they could move giannis and have him under contract for 2 postseason runs. and they have a ton of parts so they are flexible in which combination of players the bucks would like back.

miami could try to add around bam. send herro/ware and stuff for him. i dont necessarily see it but they have good spare parts.

then i think NYK is a team with sufficient desperation to go for something, its just questionable that they have enough to offer. would be Towns, a couple of guys on rookie deals, 1 shit pick, and then some really shit swaps. i dont know if theres a a multi-deal formulation where they can get it done while sending out OG instead, but then i dont see why Milwaukee would care for it.

the rockets still could do something. the trade would virtually have to include Sengun, and i wouldnt fault Houston for not wanting to do that

i think the spurs are the next team down the list as far as where it makes sense

 

[2centsworth]

I'm reminded that Sam Presti is a genius.

 

[dn0774]

OKC winning the championship this year completely took the pressure off of them to do anything crazy. They actually have so many assets that they could do the move just so that another team couldn't land Giannis. They won't do Chet or JDub like that, though.

Building a Spurs/Bucks trade around Fox is also a non starter to me. While Harper and Castle have been awesome this year, young guards being handed the keys to teams is a surefire way to lose lots of games. They'll need to take their lumps in the playoffs before we can truly contend with them.

Giannis has an insane work ethic, that being said I do have concerns how he will age. He has a lot of mileage on his legs and says the knee he hyper-extended in the Finals 4 years ago hurts to this day. The amount of tweaks and strains he seems to be accumulating has reached red flag proportions.

 

[Kick-Stand]

while im not in favor of the trade, i have no concerns about vic/giannis pairing at all. defensively there are clearly no issues and it would be an all-timer big man duo.

and i kinda get why people have concerns about the offensive pairing, with giannis also needing space to operate, and kind of does the same thing wemby tries to do (face up from the perimeter and attack). but in reality, we've all noticed that unless he's being guarded by a slower center, that is probaby the worst version of wemby on offense. wemby as a dynamic roll man, or using off-ball action to secure inside position and having him play the more traditional big role has ended up being better for him

by bringing giannis on board, you almost force wemby to move in that direction which would be beneficial. yes, it would also call on him to shoot more 3's than he has this year, but as long as hes not trying to dance with the ball out in the perimeter like we've seen, it would be a move in a positive direction for him. basically, giannis and wemby would only be clunky if wemby continues to play in his most sub-optimal form.

I think having Giannis would kill Wemby's touches in the high post just past the FT line where he is lethal, especially when he has a big on him. It would result in more of his I think I'm Durant face ups from the three point line followed by Sochan-esque dribble into turnover as the team tries to create space for Giannis. Don't really see Wemby being setup on the low block when the focus of the offense will be to give Giannis clear driving lanes. Giannis + Wemby would probably be a case of the net being less than the sum of the individual parts offensively and I don't want it, especially at the cost of losing Harper or Castle.

 

[Spurs Homer]

The biggest problem with Giannis is that he tends to blame everything else for not winning a championship every year. He must be extremely vocal about this, given the many extreme moves the Bucks have made to keep him happy ever since they built a contender.

He won a championship with a Big Three:
Chris Middleton, who, like Giannis, was developed by the organization, and
Jrue Holiday, whom the front office skillfully acquired in a trade for Eric Bledsoe. So, where are those guys now?
GONE!
These are guys who are gonna get Jersey Retired in the Buck arena.


Imagine if Tim Duncan, after 1999, had demanded changes instead of being content that the front office and his teammates gave him a chance to contend every year—that’s really all you can ask for. Sometimes the ball just bounces the wrong way, and you lose a series. Even if the coach underperforms, like when Bud was dealing with a family death, you don’t demand he be fired.

All because this guy buys into the hype about himself more than anything. You’d have to be completely out of your mind to even consider trading for him after what we’ve seen from this Spurs team so far this season.

If Doc Rivers is hearing anything, it’s just Giannis being a duplicitous cutthroat who got two teammates traded and two head coaches fired due to his unrealistic views of his own abilities or the impact any one player can have on winning playoff series—especially someone who has historically struggled at free throws and three-point shooting in the modern NBA.

Milwaukee, if they’re smart, should just trade this guy who has already cost them their cap space and valuable assets in an effort to accommodate and keep GIANNIS HAPPY. Hopefully, they can fleece another franchise, and the Spurs will be wise enough to give this player a wide berth despite all the dreadful chatter from X account journalists online.

FUCK THIS GUY...If you HATE KAWHI... this guy is WORSE because he isn't MUTE about ANYTHING..... Fucking MALCONTENT CUNT

You have proof/evidence that Giannis is doing all you accused him of? I have yet to see giannis do any of the above - (btw - fuck giannis- im no giannis stan and hope the spurs do not do this)...

This is the problem...I watched an ESPN segment...
A) Doc rivers UNEQUIVOCALLY denies any substance and even quotes Giannis saying what i posted...

B) ESPN - airs docs video...turns around and features THREE TALKING HEADS - making the case that a trade is in the works or SHOULD BE...or NEEDS TO BE...

BASED ON NOTHING!

C) The internet get a hold of this garbage, spreads it, and here we are.

BASED ON ZERO FACTS- except for some cable channel needing a story to occupy themselves and gullible people.

 

[brazil]

I voted no but I'm torn... pairing Victor and Giannis is freaking tempting eventhough price would be high, there is the age issue... Spurs would have a shot to ring for the next 2-3 years, at the end of this cycle Victor will enter in his prime and Spurs will be contenders.

 

[spurraider21]

I think having Giannis would kill Wemby's touches in the high post just past the FT line where he is lethal, especially when he has a big on him. It would result in more of his I think I'm Durant face ups from the three point line followed by Sochan-esque dribble into turnover as the team tries to create space for Giannis. Don't really see Wemby being setup on the low block when the focus of the offense will be to give Giannis clear driving lanes. Giannis + Wemby would probably be a case of the net being less than the sum of the individual parts offensively and I don't want it, especially at the cost of losing Harper or Castle.

nah i think you'd probably have wemby screening for giannis quite a bit. 4/5 pick and rolls are always lethal given the personnel. or having him in the dunker spot ready for lobs from giannis drives. and while he's there, if he can make a quick move to slip inside for scoring position, you could have giannis just hit him with a high-low. i really dont think it would be much of an issue at all.

theres zero reason for wemby dribble-drives from the perimeter when thats what giannis would be doing and doing much better

 

[Raven_]

I mean, we have 3 starting pgs that will command big money, of course you trade one for antetokumpo lol

 

[Robz4000]

I totally hope OKC does this because it would be stupid of them haha... well, right up until they land the #1 pick from LAC and two other top 10 picks from UTA and PHI

They'd have to include the Clippers pick imo.

Something like Chet + Clippers swap + another good first + salary filler tbh.

 

[spurraider21]

i just dont see why OKC would rock the boat at all even if they have the means

they are 21-1 and overwhelming favorites
they won 68 games last year (tied for 6th best in NBA history) and won the title
even in the season prior, they were the #1 seed in the west with chet as a "rookie" and j-dub in his second season

OKC is equipped to win now and are clearly the best team in the league and in a tier of their own. do they really need to shake up the roster, add a piece as big as giannis and make that work on the fly? and in exchange for giving up a good amount of their future assets which they will use to replenish the roster around their established, young, and locked up big 3?

 

[spurraider21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1997035799825850645

 

[Valparaiso]

Agree, but I also think ATL will want to see what comes of that pick. Peterson would instantly complete their team for example.

The other issue is i dont think MIL wants Trae Young. As bizzare as it sounds, I think even Dev has more of a market than him right now. Those pending extension talks seem painful.

Yeah, Ryan Rollins is playing well and has a mega-bargain contract at only $4mil/yr through 2028. Milwaukee would be crazy to 1. Give that up, or 2. Experiment with a Trae/Rollins micro back court.

 

[Knoxxx]

Someone needs to be paddled for requiring a vote against the trade to be a vote for the friendship power.

 

[jeebus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1997035799825850645

Not shocking. That "SpursReporter" cuck has always been just that...a cuck. But anyways, back to your regularly scheduled rambling.

 

[Neuromancer]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1997035799825850645

Dusty getting shit on lmao

 

[Neuromancer]

Not sure if this was posted in here already but saw a RealGM wiretap that referenced a Jake Fischer report saying the Spurs have held numerous discussions throughout the years about Giannis's agent joining the front office...that's interesting if true.

 

[spurraider21]

im definitely on team "no trade" and have explained my thoughts quite a bit elsewhere. in short, OKC is dominant right now, and also has a pretty clear runway ahead of them as well. giannis would certainly make us better right now and let us challenge OKC a bit more this year, while still integrating a massive piece midseason, and will need to win with a lot of guys contributing who have limited, if any, playoff experience, including wemby himself. so there are question marks there, compounded with the sacrifice of our own future runway.

however, if i was putting one of castle/harper on the table, it probably would be castle only because there is an extra year of evidence that his shooting is just bad, and we have seen 0 improvement in that department coming off his rookie year, though he clearly has gotten better overall by really solidifying his already strong traits. he was at 28.5% last year on 5.5 attempts per 36 min, and he's at 24% this year on 4.3 attempts per 36

now its not like harper is scorching hot, he's at 33% on only 3.7 attempts per 36, but he's also been a better free throw shooter at 79% compared to castle who is at 72% for his career. so he's got a better head start in the shooting department and is a year behind steph in general... so thats kind of where i see it. particularly because if you bring in giannis, off-ball skill and spacing becomes even more important for our guards than it already is.

other reasons to prefer to trade Castle over Harper...

- 1 year further from a big contract
- the likely package for salary to work would be Castle + Barnes + Keldon... Giannis slots in at the 4, and then you probably want Vassell/Champagnie as your starters. I'd rather have Harper off the bench behind Fox than Castle, and you'd REALLY need shooting from your G/F types, as opposed to what Castle brings

then you have a starting 5 of Fox, Vassell, Champagnie, Giannis, Wemby
and a bench unit of Harper, Waters, Bryant, Olynyk, Kornet

and you have all those guys other than Waters/Olynyk locked up for net season as well, and only Champagnie coming off the books the year after that

i just think keeping harper makes more sense there than Castle by a smidge

again, i think this is a very high risk move, and a package where the best piece is Castle is probably going to require 5 firsts or so lol

 

[PanameSpur]

While I agree that Barnes is a great fit with the current squad and appreciate what he does...

There is no universe where the breaking point for bringing in someone like Giannis is soon-to-be 34-year-old Harrison Barnes.

What about a 31yo one injury away from ending his career and that we'd have to max extend soon?

Barnes makes a living with his IQ and shooting, and an invaluable player for this young roster (and coach) bc of his experience.

My initial point, tho, was that it's one of the many reasons not to even be interested in Giannis.

 

[spurraider21]

While I agree that Barnes is a great fit with the current squad and appreciate what he does...

There is no universe where the breaking point for bringing in someone like Giannis is soon-to-be 34-year-old Harrison Barnes.

yeah, im on team no-trade, but as much as i love Unc, he is not on my list of reasons to not do this lol

 

[Dex]

What about a 31yo one injury away from ending his career and that we'd have to max extend soon?

Barnes makes a living with his IQ and shooting, and an invaluable player for this young roster (and coach) bc of his experience.

My initial point, tho, was that it's one of the many reasons not to even be interested in Giannis.

I see where you are coming from...but Barnes is still a B-level (if not C-level) player.

Giannis (when healthy) is an A++ level player. You don't just throw away chances at getting one of those because one of your B-level players kinda fits in at the moment.

 

[Neuromancer]

Giannis is one injury away from ending his career since when?

Same could be said of any player really depending on the severity of the injury

 

[jeebus]

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Pivots From Giannis Antetokounmpo Update

Brian Windhorst backtracked Thursday on his own reporting about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future.

sports.yahoo.com

@scott close this fucking thread. It's all a fucking farce. Might as well start a thread that claims Wemby wants to be traded to the San Antonio FC

 

[Kick-Stand]

nah i think you'd probably have wemby screening for giannis quite a bit. 4/5 pick and rolls are always lethal given the personnel. or having him in the dunker spot ready for lobs from giannis drives. and while he's there, if he can make a quick move to slip inside for scoring position, you could have giannis just hit him with a high-low. i really dont think it would be much of an issue at all.

theres zero reason for wemby dribble-drives from the perimeter when thats what giannis would be doing and doing much better

If Wemby's in the dunker spot then Giannis ain't getting to the rim so have him shooting FT line jumpers instead? IDK the fit seems really weird to me when they both love the ball in the high post. The high low pick and roll would be nice but doesn't offset the other concerns IMO. And I do think it's a recipe for more three point line Tragic Johnson plays from Wemby putting the ball on the floor when he's not going to want to get in Giannis' way but still try to force action when he gets touches. I don't like sticking another player in Wemby's spot when Victor on his own probably becomes a more deadly option than Giannis in the high post in another year or two. I really don't like sacrificing Wemby's development and how much he's going to drift out to the three point line to be Super Brook Lopez like @SpursBills said. It's already enough of a problem that needs to be broken, not reinforced.

 

[Valparaiso]

I'm on the fence with Giannis and leaning towards no, but the one scenario I do like is him as a Pippen style point forward, sharing the initiation role with Fox, and pushing Wemby into the role of a more traditional post up guy. Opposing defenses would have to decide who to defend Giannis with, which either takes away a bigger defender, or gives him an easy passing path. We saw Lebron yesterday be effective with 11 assists and no turnovers despite a poor shooting night, and Giannis has never been an unwilling passer.