It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks are fielding offers this summer from teams pursuing 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After a disappointing ending in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs should be among these teams making calls.
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De’Aaron Fox not only had an awful outing in the five-game loss to the New York Knicks, he was wildly inconsistent for the entire postseason.
His huge contract, combined with the emergence of rookie guard Dylan Harper, should be more than enough reason to trade him.
One of the glaring weaknesses that hurt the Spurs in the Finals was the lack of a true primary scorer with legitimate playoff experience behind him.
Wembanyama is undeniably a great player, but his youth shined through in the Finals and his offensive game appears to need just a bit more polishing.
Antetokounmpo would provide that much-needed scoring punch and more. Arguably the most dominant downhill slasher in basketball history, he’d be part of a dangerous duo with Wembanyama.
Defensively, he would instantly make the Spurs’ already-elite defense much, much stronger. The amount of rim protection San Antonio would have between Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama would be unlike anything the NBA has ever seen.
The lack of a true secondary paint defender became a weak spot for the Spurs when Wembanyama needed a break during these playoffs. A trade for Antetokounmpo would alleviate, if not outright solve, that issue.
Additionally, Wembanyama’s development could benefit greatly from having a mentor like Antetokounmpo in the locker room.
He’s the newest big man to join the Spurs family, but he doesn’t have a veteran leader like Kawhi Leonard did in Tim Duncan, or like Duncan did in David Robinson.
It doesn’t take long to realize that adding Antetokounmpo to the roster would instantly make them title favorites, but that’s easier said than done.
So far, the Spurs haven’t been one of the major teams named in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are the two most-rumored teams so far.
But a trade sending Fox to the Bucks and Antetokounmpo to the Spurs wouldn’t be impossible.
Spurs Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks Receive: De’Aaron Fox, Carter Bryant, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
As much as the Spurs would probably like to keep Carter Bryant and just include Fox and three first-round picks, it’s highly unlikely that Milwaukee would accept an offer without at least one young player involved.
Luckily for the Bucks, Bryant is a young, athletic forward with strong defensive abilities and plenty of offensive upside as a 3-and-D type player.
His inclusion in the trade would likely be a must if the Spurs only include three first-round picks.
Ultimately, a deal between these two teams may not happen before the Heat or Celtics swoop in with more to offer the Bucks, but there’s a world in which the Spurs make this move with the intention of winning a championship as soon as possible.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
