As the Bucks face a looming deadline, Houston’s superior trade assets could disrupt Miami’s pursuit. Rafael Stone possesses the young stars and draft picks to outbid every rival.
I think it’s safe to say that anyone with the slightest interest in the NBA is aware of the ticking timeline set by the Milwaukee Bucks. They need a decision to be made on Giannis Antetokounmpo, and reportedly want it done in the next 24 hours.
With there still being no movement on that front, and Aaron Wiggins being the only player moved so far, I’m starting to wonder if anything will happen. This is nothing new.
We’ve gone through this same Giannis saga every offseason and trade deadline for years now. The Miami Heat propose a lackluster trade because it’s all they really have to offer, and the Bucks do nothing. Time and time again.
Even with teams like the New York Knicks and OKC Thunder potentially having interest before winning championships, it still always lands back on Miami as a frontrunner.
Now with the Boston Celtics reportedly having some real interest too, at least the Heat have some competition, but maybe another team can step in too?
After all, Miami was in the running for Kevin Durant last summer before the Houston Rockets swooped in and outbid everybody. To be fair, it’s not hard to outbid the Heat. So why couldn’t Rafael Stone do it again?
The KD acquisition was centered around Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. The latter being a proven veteran who will help any team, and the other being a former number two overall pick.
Despite Jalen Green batting the first injuries of his NBA career, he still has great potential. I don’t see why he couldn’t be a 1x All-Star, just like Tyler Herro.
Herro, of course, would be the centerpiece of a Giannis trade to Miami. I don’t see where they’re getting the Dillon Brooks level player from though, and I think that’s needed.
The rest of the Heat’s potential package would be some amalgamation of Jamie Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, and Kel’el Ware? Maybe Kasparas Jakucionis? To me, that’s just not very enticing. None of them are even full time starters.
Much like last summer, the Rockets have a much better package to offer the Bucks and could easily outbid Miami.
Alperen Şengün has already made twice as many All-Star games as Tyler Herro (2:1), as well as being two and a half years younger. That alone might make it a better trade for Milwaukee.
Şengün honestly fits the Bucks roster better too, considering they already built it out with a lot of shooters to maximize spacing around Giannis. They had the second highest three point percentage in the league last season, per Basketball-Reference.
There’s still a difference of more than $20 million to fill with Giannis’ supermax contract, but that’s where the lottery picks become a factor.
Jabari Smith Jr’s contract fills that hole perfectly, while Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson are also options. As much as I’d hate to see any of the young guys go, the guard’s $11 and $12 million apiece help fill that gap.
To be clear, I wouldn’t offer both guards, nor would it require both of them from a financial standpoint. I do think it’s undeniable that they’re better than what the Miami Heat have to offer though.
The Rockets definitely have what it takes, especially with their future draft picks, as previously covered on Roundtable. We’ll see if they can shock the world with a blockbuster trade again.
