The superstar looks to be finally on his way out of Milwaukee, and there may be no better team to try and get him than the Raptors.
With the NBA trade deadline just eight days away, 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially accepted the idea of being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks (via Shams Charania). While he has denied trade requests and stated his commitment to the franchise that drafted him for years, the time has finally come for the rumors to come to an end and the Bucks to pull the trigger on a trade.
That doesn’t mean that in eight days Milwaukee will find the perfect trade for the perennial superstar. It seems evident that Antetokounmpo will not suit up for the Bucks to begin next season, but whether that means he is traded now or in the offseason is unknown.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) | © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
While the most obvious teams to aggressively pursue the former No. 15 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft are the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, there are other teams that have the potential to present a better package to Milwaukee’s organization. It’s been stated that the Bucks will be prioritizing promising young players and extensive draft compensation, which neither of these teams has a plethora of.
One team that is plentiful in both of these assets is the Toronto Raptors, which ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported as one of the 11 teams with the most to offer.
Having a deal difficulty rating of 3/10, Marks states that the Raptors possess the best potential trade offer out of any other team in the Eastern Conference. Owning all of their own first-round picks from 2026-2032, along with several promising young players and starting-caliber veterans, if Toronto wanted to put it all on the table for a consensus top-three player in the league, they could.
How Much Should the Raptors Be Willing to Trade?
Toronto actually possesses so much to offer for the Greek sensation that the package would need to be limited to something that wouldn’t completely gut the team. It should be clear that Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram have been reported as untouchable, but that may change if a potential one-for-one deal with a first-round pick or two is offered. But the more favorable option for the Raptors would be packaging Immanuel Quickley and/or RJ Barrett with young players like Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, or Collin Murray-Boyles, along with the draft capital.
In an ideal world, the Raptors could give up Quickley (who has caught fire in recent weeks, showing All-Star potential) and Barrett with Agbaji/Dick and multiple draft picks. The reality is draft capital *shouldn’t* be super important to the Raptors if they are acquiring a player who has made the All-Star game every year for the last decade.
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) | © David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Pairing Barnes and Ingram with Antetokounmpo would not only make for one of the scariest trios offensively in the NBA, but also maybe the ability to dethrone the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best defense in the league. It’s unknown whether the Raptors are legitimate suitors for the two-time league MVP, but don’t count them out until a trade is finalized.