A Philadelphia 76ers star has reportedly helped the team land on Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's radar ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
With the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 5) less than two weeks away, the rumors surrounding Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are heating up.
Although Antetokounmpo has not officially requested a trade from Milwaukee, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday the Bucks are still willing to listen to offers. Plenty of contending teams are being mentioned as possible landing spots for the nine-time All-Star, including the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat.
A new team is potentially joining the mix for the two-time MVP, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer shared Antetokounmpo has the Philadelphia 76ers on his radar. This interest in joining the Sixers reportedly stems from the idea of teaming up with two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.
“League sources say Philadelphia, furthermore, has not contacted Milwaukee about a possible Antetokounmpo deal in the wake of a better-than-expected first half, but The Stein Line has learned that the prospect of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey — who, like Giannis, works with prominent NBA trainer Drew Hanlen — does have the 76ers on Antetokounmpo's radar," The Stein Line article wrote.
It's not hard to figure out why Antetokounmpo is by far the most sought-after player at this year's trade deadline.
Not only are there few other stars seeking a change of scenery, but the Bucks forward is widely regarded as a top-five player in the NBA. He is sidelined with a calf strain, but is averaging 28.0 points and 10.0 rebounds on 64.5% shooting in 30 games this season.
The 76ers could offer quite an enticing package to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo, highlighted by the salary of Paul George, rookie phenom V.J. Edgecombe, and draft capital. It's worth noting many in the 76ers' fanbase are against the idea of including Edgecombe in a potential deal for Antetokounmpo.
The alternative is to offer sophomore guard Jared McCain, who is looking more like his rookie self in recent games, in place of Edgecombe. The issue is McCain holds nowhere near as much trade value as Edgecombe due to his poor second season, averaging just 6.8 points on 37.5% shooting.
It feels highly unlikely Antetokounmpo ends up in Philadelphia prior to Feb. 5, but him having the 76ers on his radar certainly spices up the situation.
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