After a summer filled with questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status with the Milwaukee Bucks, it appears that they are likely headed for a divorce. If that does indeed become the case, he will likely get to dictate where he wants to. This means a move to Memphis is unlikely, as the Grizzlies don’t usually appear on those radars.
However, if the Grizzlies happen to appear on his list of desirable trade destinations, they must be ready to make nearly anyone on the roster available. Due to salaries, Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely have to be included in a hypothetical trade package for Giannis. Along with picks and other matching salary, the Grizzlies will likely have to add a player the franchise wouldn’t want to add in Zach Edey.
Milwaukee would likely command Zach Edey in a deal for Giannis
Giannis is one of the best players in NBA History, who is still in his prime and dominating the league right now. The problem is the Bucks roster around him isn’t good enough to support him, and they lack the cap space to truly make the team good enough to turn around their recent fall from grace.
As for the Grizzlies, they are turning around their season as players get healthier, specifically the return of Zach Edey. This is exactly why he would be a prime candidate to be added to a trade package for Giannis. Hypothetically, the Grizzlies would love to add Giannis without trading Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr.
But in the event they would have to trade one of their stars, they wouldn’t want to trade any of their top young trio of Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and Jaylen Wells. The reality is that to gain a player of Giannis’ stature, they would have to trade a mixture of a star, a young prospect, and draft picks for years to come.
Zach Edey has more than proven that he can be a top-tier big man in the NBA since his return from injury. His dominating presence in the low post has been on display with or without the shooting volume due to his rebounding dominance. The Grizzlies will be reluctant to trade a player they drafted in the top 10 of last year’s draft, but he will likely be required for the biggest star on the market.
All of this is hypothetical, of course, as Giannis hasn’t officially requested a trade from the Bucks. However, all signs point to a likely separation, and if the Grizzlies are listed as a desirable destination, they will have some tough decisions to make.