The Spurs being a threat makes Giannis all the more attractive.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the ongoing saga of whether or not he'll end up being traded by the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason has taken many turns throughout the last few months, but one NBA media member thinks that's there's a playoff team that has had the biggest impact in his eventual destination.
The idea that Anetokounmpo will be traded by the Bucks seems more and more likely by the day considering the fractured relationship between him and the franchise that drafted him, and there's certainly a long suit of suitors would be interested in the multiple-time MVP. The Bucks had an opportunity to trade him at the deadline this season, but ultimately held on after not being satisfied with any of the packages they were offered.
But the league is rapidly changing and improving and as more and more teams find themselves eliminated from playoff contention and in turn the teams that continue to compete improve even more, the pressure to bulk out rosters and take the next step into regular contention becomes even more severe.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesThe Market's Heating Up
In a way, the rest of the league improving around the Bucks serves them even more, as Antetokounmpo continues to distinguish himself as the premier trade candidate on the market.
That's why ESPN's Ramona Shelburne believes that the way the Spurs have performed this postseason, battling the defending champion-Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the Western Conference Finals, has put the league on notice and may incentivize even more aggressive pursuits of Antetokounmpo.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) lock up during a free throw in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesSpurs Are A Threat
"This postseason, I think, has completely reframed the trade discussions for Giannis because of how good Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are," Shelburne said. "Every single person watching these playoffs says, 'Oh, maybe we need to get Giannis."
With young the Spurs and Wembanyama in particular, there was a prevailing belief that as talented as the team is and how successful they were during the regular season, the league as a whole still had a few more years before the Spurs were truly a league-shaking threat.
That's clearly not the case and as a result, the rest of the league needs to rapidly improve, particularly the teams in the Western Conference, if they want to be able to contend with the Spurs and the Thunder among the other teams that need to respond to the improving league as well.
Antetokounmpo is the biggest vehicle to taking the next step into contention and if there weren't aggressive enough offers before, there certainly will be now.
