Since the report came out that Giannis Antetokounmpo is thinking about leaving the Milwaukee Bucks and playing for another team, things have been wild in the NBA. The Greek Freak is the biggest star who might switch teams. He might be the biggest player ever to get traded. Alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant, Giannis would be one of the best players to be traded of all time. According to recent reports, Giannis prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference.
Sorry, Spurs and Rockets, Giannis Wants to Stay East
The Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs were widely considered the two biggest favorites to land the Greek Freak. They have all the assets in terms of draft capital and young players to trade for him, and they will still have a contending team afterward. If the Milwaukee Bucks are making the decision without any input from Giannis, the Spurs and Rockets are the teams to watch. Of course, that means that Houston and San Antonio are willing to break their core and make a trade.
However, according to a report from NBA insider Brandon Scoop B Robinson, Giannis has three things in mind about his next NBA team. One of them is staying in the Eastern Conference to maintain a familiar travel schedule and media presence. The other two are having a strong voice in roster decisions and coaching direction, and a market that can attract other stars.
Brandon lists the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets as two teams that might check all the boxes. Let’s take a look at their options, but also consider other teams in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn Looks More Like a Serious Contender
For the past year or so, experts and analysts have been joking that nobody will line up to get the money from the Brooklyn Nets. They will have the biggest cap space this summer, with only $63 million in committed salary for the 2025-26 season. The Nets can get even lower if they decline the team options on Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, and Drew Timme.
But if Giannis hints at a possibility of joining the Nets and remaining in the Eastern Conference, there are big options. Brooklyn can get him, and still have cap space to sign one or two more stars to play with him. The problem with that scenario is that there are not many difference makers on the market this summer. Some of the options include Naz Reid (player option), Jonathan Kuminga (restricted), Josh Giddey (restricted), Julius Randle (player option), Bruce Brown, Tre Jones, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
If the Bucks want a pick-heavy option for Giannis, the Nets have more than 10 first-round picks in the following seven years. They have four in this year’s draft, and incoming picks from New York and Philadelphia.
Giannis, Kawhi 2.0 in Toronto
The Toronto Raptors have proven previously that they can win when they get a top 10 star on their team. Kawhi Leonard joined them for one year and helped them win a championship in 2019. Similar to Giannis, Kawhi had demands about playing time, schedule, and more team decisions. The Raptors catered to his needs, and he delivered a championship.
Toronto, like the Nets, can deliver a picks-heavy offer. They can also send RJ Barrett, and young players like Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji. Unlike Brooklyn, the Raptors do not have first-round picks from other teams, but they have their own pick every year.
The Philadelphia 76ers, a Dark Horse Candidate
If Giannis is serious about remaining in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers will be a dark horse candidate to get him. Daryl Morey is no stranger to hunting for big stars. Philly is a big market, a place where stars love to play. And if they win, he will be the guy who put them over the top. Unlike Brooklyn and Toronto, the Sixers can deliver two extremely young players for the Bucks to build around. They have Jared McCain, and the number three pick in this year’s draft. Or, they can try to reroute Paul George to another team. Overall, the Sixers could be an intriguing landing spot for Giannis.
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