Speculation swirls around Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential trade, but the Spurs may not be in the mix for him.
SAN ANTONIO — There has been speculation about whether Bucks’ All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo will seek a trade, given Milwaukee’s struggles since its 2021 NBA title.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks superstar and his agent are discussing his future in Milwaukee or elsewhere, and one team mentioned as a possible destination is the San Antonio Spurs.
It made sense why the Spurs were thrown into the mix, given their treasure chest of draft picks, young players, and star Victor Wembanyama, a player Giannis would love to team with.
However, any dreams of a Wemby-Giannis pairing in San Antonio may not come true, according to Marc Stein’s recent report.
“There is a growing belief among trade-trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo even if the Bucks ultimately do decide to consider in-season proposals for their two-time MVP,” Stein reports. “All three of those teams, as you can imagine, like what they have going.”
If true, it is understandable why the Spurs would not want to trade for the Bucks’ forward.
The Bucks would likely want a haul in return, and names like Stephon Castle or Dylan Harper would be what Milwaukee wants in return, not to mention dipping into the Spurs’ bevy of future first and second-round draft picks.
Moreover, it would disrupt the cohesion and chemistry the Spurs are building, and is it worth it to mortgage the team’s future on a player who might be exiting their prime years sooner rather than later, and has been hit with recent injuries?
Plus, do the Spurs want to break up the Castle-Harper tandem, who are a significant factor in their long-term plans? Likely not.
“Me and Dylan (Harper), we hang out a lot off the court. So on the court, just with our IQ and how we like to share the ball, and obviously we have the same common goals, trying to win, so it kind of made it easy for us to click on the court,” said Castle. “We want to see each other win and just what our is with the ball, it’s kind of easy to play off each other. So I think when you like your teammates off the court, it’s a lot easier to play with them.”
For now, it seems prudent for the Spurs not to make a blockbuster deal such as trading for Giannis.
Maybe the best move is no move at all, considering the high level of play the Spurs are showing this season, making it to the NBA Cup 2025 Finals, going 9-3 without Wembanyama, and seemingly only set to get even better as the season moves forward.