The Oklahoma City Thunder have an incredibly bright future with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren in the fold for the foreseeable future.
The team has the best net rating in NBA history, but as last year proved, the playoffs are a different animal.
That’s why it might make sense for OKC to go all in and trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who could request a trade if the Milwaukee Bucks fail to make another deep playoff run.
ESPN’s Shams Charania shared the following intel about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee on Get Up, saying, “Everyone knows that Antetokounmpo loves the Bucks. But I’m here to tell you that he loves winning more. And that’s why everyone in that Bucks organization knows what’s at stake. They know the pressure. Every summer he looks around and he looks at the Bucks current roster. He looks at sustained, long-term winning. He has said publicly that if that is unattainable in Milwaukee, he will look elsewhere.”
A trade that could make sense for both sides is as follows:
Thunder receive: Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams, Nikola Topic, 2025 First-Round Pick (via Philadelphia 76ers), 2026 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2027 First-Round Pick (via Los Angeles Clippers), 2028 First-Round Pick (via Dallas Mavericks), 2028 First-Round Pick (via Denver Nuggets), 2027 First-Round Pick (Denver), 2029 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2031 First-Round Pick (OKC)
Those are a ton of picks for the Thunder to give up, but it’s not often when a small market team is in a prime position to trade for a superstar who might be seeking another championship, though Antetokounmpo indicated that he’s not looking to request a trade.
Antetokounmpo would put a ton of pressure on the rim offensively, which would make life even easier for Gilgeous-Alexander to pick his spots in the midrange.
Defensively, Antetokounmpo and Holmgren would make life incredibly difficult for players to attack the rim, given their size and length.
Holmgren’s three-point shooting would also space the floor to open up driving lines for The Greek Freak.
The Sixers’ pick is protected 1-6, but if they end up with the seventh overall pick, that selection could suddenly become more valuable. However, that pick may not convey in 2025 because Philadelphia has a bottom-six record, but that pick could convey in 2026 or 2027 as any pick that is not in the top four.
The Clippers could bottom out by 2027 with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden aging, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see that pick land in the top five.
The Nuggets’ core surrounding Nikola Jokic is only getting older, so those picks can flirt with the lottery as well.
Considering OKC’s already great defense, adding Antetokounmpo next to Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren would instantly make them favorites in a deep Western Conference.
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