Let the speculation begin! Following the Bucks loss to Brooklyn last week, Giannis Antetokounmpo voiced his frustrations with the current state of the team. While he has since walked back those comments to an extent, stating he believes the team will continue to improve as the season progresses - there is a growing sentiment among NBA executives that a Giannis trade request could be coming this season. The Bucks also did little to calm this rumors, getting throttled by the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
Why does this matter to the Brooklyn Nets? The easiest answer is Giannis is one of the best players in the NBA, and still on the right side of 30 years old(for another month anyway). Meanwhile the Brooklyn Nets just finished undoing all the damage done, much of it self-inflicted, through their last superstar run with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, have finally settled into the rebuild so many fans have clamored for. However, the off-season trade of Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, and subsequent reacquiring of their own picks from Houston does keep Brooklyn in the perfect position to make another splash move if they choose.
The Bucks current struggles, and lack of assets to improve, have fueled speculation about Giannis’s future. The Nets would likely have to part with a substantial portion of their young talent and draft capital to make such a trade happen. This scenario echoes past experiences where the Nets have gone all-in on superstar trades, only to see them fall short of expectations. Those past failures should not deter the Nets from another superstar pursuit, but this may simply not be “the right time” to go after one.
Yes, the Nets would have a superstar, and yes they would have plenty of cap space next off-season to further bolster the roster around Giannis. Between now and then however, there will be a draft. One where in this moment the Nets hold multiple picks, including Milwaukee’s(protected 1-4). Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper are among the top prospects, and all considered to have cornerstone potential for an NBA franchise.
Beyond what could be coming Brooklyn’s way next off-season, there is also the current roster. From a veteran talent standpoint players like Dennis Schröder, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Nic Claxton would certainly provide support around Giannis. Cam Thomas, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams and Noah Clowney could help as well - but most if not all of those players would be included in any trade discussion. None of names are on the level of Giannis obviously, but can Brooklyn afford to lose every young prospect and every future draft pick... to be a middle of the pack playoff team?
If the Bucks do in fact blow it up, Brooklyn could be in prime position to land two premiere talents for the long term, while allowing another franchise to send all their assets to Milwaukee for a chance to chase a ring now.
The NBA is a league where superstars often dictate the fate of franchises. For the Nets to have finally re-stocked the assets, and seemingly finally have found a competent head coach in Jordi Fernandez - a quick pivot back into superstar waters feels(at least in the case of Giannis) an unwelcome risk.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Brooklyn Nets’ strategies and potential moves, tune into the Locked On Nets podcast for this and much more.
