Fantasy Basketball: Giannis Antetokounmpo Top Landing Spots

With Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially "open minded" about a trade out of Milwaukee, let's take a look at the top landing spots for the superstar forward.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) gets ready to play Indiana Pacers during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are no strangers to trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo AKA The Greek Freak. However, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, for the first time ever, it seems the superstar is “open minded” about a potential trade to a new franchise. 

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has not made any firm decisions, but for the first time in his career, he is open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.

Story on ESPN: https://t.co/2aTg3Bq8o3

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 12, 2025

This isn’t all that surprising given the way things ended for the Bucks this year with a gentleman’s sweep in five games of the first round of the Eastern Conference at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks haven’t done a great job at building a contender since the team won back in 2021. Since then, they did bring in Damian Lillard, but after Khris Middleton’s career trajectory took a big hit following injuries, they dealt him for Kyle Kuzma, and that didn’t pan out all that well. 

At just 30 years old, Antetokounmpo remains squarely in his athletic prime and is once again in the MVP conversation—his third such nod in four seasons. This year, the superstar tallied 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, while chipping in 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals. The only thing missing from his game is the absence of a reliable three-point shot. Outside of that, he’s the complete package. Should he ever hit the trade market, every franchise in the NBA would scramble to assemble its most compelling offer. So where could he land if the Bucks decide to ship him and enter a new era?

Top NBA Landing Spots For Giannis Antetokounmpo

Houston Rockets

A Giannis to Houston trade makes sense for a ton of reasons. Not only does Houston hold one of the NBA’s most enviable war chests–armed with a trove of draft capital along with superstars in the making such as Alperen Sengun and the sky-high upside of Amen Thompson–but a move to the Western Conference would mean the Bucks wouldn’t have to face their former franchise player as much. Giannis clearly wants to play for a contender and despite losing their first-round series to the Golden State Warriors, Houston is on the up and up after securing the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference. 

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dunks against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Toyota Center. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Fred VanVleet’s team option provides a clean, sizeable salary slot for trade math. And although the Rockets are in need of shooting help which Giannis lacks, they have more than enough assets to bring in a sharpshooter in addition to Antetokounmpo. If Milwaukee could handpick a trade partner based on pure value, the Rockets would be near the top of the list.

San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio is in the midst of a full-scale build around generational talent Victor Wembanyama, and pairing him with Giannis Antetokounmpo would instantly form one of the most dominant frontcourts the league has ever seen. The Spurs already took a major step forward by acquiring All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox from the Kings last season, signaling that they’re serious about accelerating their timeline. While they may lack the veteran contracts often used to facilitate blockbuster trades, they’re loaded with promising young talent—names like Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan headline a deep and developing core. Add to that a war chest of future first-round picks, and San Antonio has plenty of ammo to make a compelling case.

If the Spurs were to land Giannis, their foundation would suddenly rival that of any team in the league: Fox at the point, Giannis and Wemby patrolling the paint, and a roster brimming with athleticism and upside. The final piece would be supplementing the roster with reliable perimeter shooting to space the floor and fully unlock their stars. With the right additions, this could quickly go from an exciting rebuild to a full-fledged title chase.

Brooklyn Nets

Giannis may hesitate to join a team that’s not yet on par with Eastern Conference juggernauts like Boston or Cleveland—but when it comes to playing basketball, there’s no bigger stage than New York. It’s not Madison Square Garden, sure—but we’ve seen stars bypass the Knicks in favor of Brooklyn before (see: Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and others).

While the Nets might lack the immediate title-readiness of teams like the Rockets or Spurs, their location offers unrivaled market appeal and a history of attracting big-name talent. Should Brooklyn land Cooper Flagg in the draft, the situation becomes even more intriguing. With a deep stash of draft assets—including some of Milwaukee’s own picks—the Nets are well-positioned to make a compelling offer. It may not be the most direct path to a title for Giannis, but from Milwaukee’s perspective, the value adds up. And for Giannis, it’s a rare chance to build a contender from the ground up—and potentially bring a championship back to New York on his own terms. Not to mention, this might be where his fantasy basketball value is at its highest given the current lack of talent in the lineup and the sensational usage rate he would see.

Recommended Articles

NBA DFS Picks (Monday, May 12)

Diamondbacks Stud Jordan Lawlar Promoted To Majors: Fantasy Baseball Impact

NFL Schedule Release: Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles To Kick Off Week 1