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Bucks must create Giannis sweepstakes as trade rumors swirl

Milwaukee GM Jon Horst has taken a curious approach to potentially dealing the franchise face
Tony Mejia|
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined, but it's speculated that he's going to request a trade if his team's struggles continue.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined, but it's speculated that he's going to request a trade if his team's struggles continue. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

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Giannis Antetokounmpo has given the Milwaukee Bucks a chance to right the ship around him.  Even as speculation mounted through the offseason that he'd start the season elsewhere, he was patient and never demanded a trade.

The Bucks moved mountains to rid themselves of an injured Damian Lillard, then added Myles Turner. They even added kid brother Alex Antetokounmpo as a two-way, which was obviously a grand gesture. 

After starting fast, the Bucks hit the skids, Giannis got frustrated and now he’s run out of patience. After news that he’d like Milwaukee’s front office to explore potential trades came down, he suffered what could’ve been a season-ending non-contact injury that fortunately ended up only being a calf strain. 

If you’re Bucks GM Jon Horst, watching Antetokounmpo go down should’ve been the final, undeniable sign that it’s time to cut ties with the player who has delivered a championship while meaning everything to the organization for the last decade. Don’t let it become toxic. Don’t get stuck with an injured star. Don’t lose control of the ability to maximize what can be acquired in exchange for Giannis via sweepstakes.

Bucks can't get let Giannis' New York wishes to dictate market

It’s nice Giannis wants to go to the New York Knicks in a perfect world. If another team offers a better deal, Antetokounmpo can eat some of the world’s best gyros and souvlakis on road trips like he has for years. Milwaukee has rewarded his loyalty and treated him like the superstar he is. They’ve catered to his every wish and even explored granting the one that would end their association, reportedly reaching out and having exploratory conversations with the Knicks this past summer.

As the news cycle turns, respected reporters are hearing things that don’t make sense.

Marc Stein reported on the All NBA Podcast that Horst is rejecting trade pitches. That’s probably not the best way to encourage teams to part ways with a king’s ransom, but maybe he’s hoping wanting what they can’t have will make them covet Giannis more. Hopefully that’s Horst’s way of coaxing a “Godfather” offer out of somebody, because it would otherwise be a misguided strategy.

ESPN’s Shams Charania spun forward the report seen above by opining “if the Bucks continue to lose, Giannis’ stance on wanting out will escalate further.” Having turned 31 years old over the weekend, one of the top five players on the planet is aware his window closes more every year regardless of how much work he puts in. Antetokounmpo’s agent, Alex Saratsis, is going to do whatever he can to ake sure his top client feels like he has the best chance to win, particularly since he’s in a position where he feels he can control his destination.

Horst has to do right by Milwaukee more than he has to right by Giannis. That’s the mandate. It would be great if the Knicks do come up with an offer that tops all others and secure themselves the “Greek Freak” for a championship push, but if another team that steps up with a better offer, Antetokounmpo’s wishes must take a backseat.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick commented on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” that “if the Knicks thing is too hard to execute… maybe he (Horst) looks at Miami and tries to make that work.”

Miami can put together a package potentially featuring coveted young center Kel’el Ware and Milwaukee native Tyler Herro if it wants to pair Bam Adebayo with Antetokounmpo, who already share the same agent. Norman Powell is on an expiring deal and there are other young pieces the Heat can dangle, so they may indeed be able to put together the best possible offer. 

It’s on Horst to make a potential Giannis deal a sweepstakes. He’s got to ensure that parting ways with the face of the franchise sets Milwaukee up for long-term contention. As the losses pile up and the days pass, the Bucks’ bargaining position suffers since it will become a foregone conclusion that Antetokounmpo is going to ask out.

It’s not his style to issue a trade demand, but that doesn’t mean his agent won’t. While Giannis still has to return to the lineup and prove he’s completely healed, the longer he’s suiting up in a Bucks uniform and suffering through losses, the tougher it’s going to be to get the most back for his services.

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Tony Mejia
TONY MEJIA

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