A new NBA rumor suggests that if Giannis Antetokounmpo does request a trade this summer, he wants to go to one of several big-market teams, including the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
For the third straight season, the Milwaukee Bucks were ousted in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The series defeat to the Indiana Pacers has only intensified speculation that the team’s top star could ask for an escape from Wisconsin, and where could he go? Well, veteran NBA insider Howard Beck claimed this week that specific cities will be high on the two-time MVP’s wish list.
Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (2024-25): 30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 6.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG
“Does Giannis ask out? If he does, does he have a list? I poked around a little bit a few days ago, and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities. One of the LA teams, or one of the New York teams, or maybe Miami. Not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market.”
Howard Beck – The Zach Lowe Show
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So that would mean the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, and Miami Heat would be the top contenders for the nine-time All-Star. And all of them make sense for different reasons.
The Knicks have been linked to Antetokounmpo for some time. And if they don’t reach the Eastern Conference Finals this month, they could look to shake things up. They don’t have the draft assets. But have high-level players like OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges that could go back in a deal. The Nets reportedly want Antetokounmpo and have the draft picks to interest Milwaukee. And if just being in New York is key for the NBA great, the Nets have to be taken seriously.
If LeBron James sticks around, the Lakers would seem like a long shot. Because the team has so much money wrapped up in him and Luka Doncic. However, maybe they feel the tax penalties are worth it to have three superstars at once. The Clippers are intriguing. They have an elite coach and some nice pieces. But James Harden could leave in free agency, and Kawhi Leonard’s long injury history makes him hard to rely on.
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