After the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the third consecutive year, many trade proposals will involve Giannis Antetokounmpo. No reports confirm he wants out, but that won’t stop the speculation during the offseason.
If the Bucks trade Antetokounmpo, they should expect no less than a complete haul for him. The Athletic’s Eric Koreem floated a trade between the Bucks and the Toronto Raptors that would get said haul for Antetokounmpo. He proposed the following swap.
Raptors get: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma
Bucks get: Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, 2027 Raptors first-round pick, 2029 Raptors first-round pick, 2031 Raptors first-round pick (all of which are top-one protected), 2028 pick swap, 2030 pick swap (Bucks get second choice of Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Raptors)
Koreem explained why the Bucks would agree to the trade, writing, “In Barnes, the Bucks get a foundational player defensively and a playmaker in the style of Antetokounmpo. They also get off Kuzma and, essentially, get as many picks as the Raptors can give them. It might not be enough for the Bucks, but save for getting the Raptors’ lottery pick this year — and if Toronto doesn’t win the lottery, it could be on the table — it is a haul.”
Barnes is the former No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has made the All-Star team. He could be a franchise player in the coming years, but there’s no telling if he will ever reach the level Antetokounmpo has. As far as young players that the Bucks could start over with, Barnes is among the best they could hope for.
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