Giannis Antetokounmpo is rumored to want out of Milwaukee fairly soon. The LA Clippers would be wise to pursue a trade next summer, or sign him in 2021.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is undoubtedly a top-five player in the NBA. Fresh off a campaign in which he averaged nearly 27 points per game, it’s absurd — yet very realistic — to assume the 23-year-old still has room to improve. He’s signed through 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks, however, HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy says league insiders believe the Greek Freak will leave before his contract expires. In that case, the LA Clippers should have all hands on deck for a potential pursuit.
There are a few ways that something like this could happen, and each would take a significant amount of time to develop. There’s the obvious free agency scenario, but the Clippers would have to wait until the summer of 2021 for that to happen. The Clippers could also trade for Antetokounmpo, which is where things start to get interesting.
Let’s tackle the free agency scenario first. LA has just three players signed through the 2020-2021 NBA season — Lou Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jerome Robinson. Clearly cap space won’t be an issue, and the Clippers will hopefully have two well-established guards by then.
The only issue with pursuing Antetokounmpo in 2021 is, well, waiting that long. He’ll be among a slew of elite free agents that summer, including Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Damian Lillard, and Gordon Hayward, so the Clippers could have their choice of star players. But if Antetokounmpo is their man (and he should be), securing his talents earlier will be ideal.
LA doesn’t have nearly enough assets to trade for Antetokounmpo as is, assuming the Bucks would even be opening to trading their star wing. However, next summer’s free agency period could be vital in setting up a deal.
If Antetokounmpo truly wants out, he can attempt to force a trade, similar to how Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler did this summer. And if Milwaukee is interested in obtaining one of next summer’s most coveted free agents, the Clippers could do so for them, and include the player in the deal. It’s very much a long shot, since there aren’t many players that any sane executives would ship out Antetokounmpo for next summer. But if Giannis forces a deal and maintains leverage, the Bucks could be returning a name like Kyrie Irving or Klay Thompson to Milwaukee, via the Clippers.
None of this is certain, and it probably won’t happen. But it doesn’t hurt for the Clippers to at least try.