While the 2019-20 NBA season is still in limbo, rumors have already started swirling around reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks . Antetokounmpo is still under contract with the Bucks until next season, but if he declines to sign the massive contract extension, there is speculation that Milwaukee could make him available on the trade market this summer. One of the more intriguing landing spots for Antetokounmpo in the 2020 offseason is the Los Angeles Clippers .
The types of trade assets the Bucks are expected to demand in any deal involving the face of the franchise will likely depend on the path that they are planning to take in the post-Antetokounmpo era. If they decide to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, Andrew Hughes of Fansided’s Hardwood Houdini believes that the Clippers would be an ideal trade partner for the Bucks. In the proposed deal that would enable Antetokounmpo to team up with Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles, Hughes suggested that the Clippers could offer a package centered on All-Star forward Paul George.
“A team like the Los Angeles Clippers could dangle Paul George in a superstar swap, and they could also include pieces like Lou Williams, Landry Shamet and Pat Beverley in a theoretical trade.”
A superstar-for-superstar deal makes a lot of sense for the Bucks if they want to continue chasing their dream of a championship title. George may not be as good as Antetokounmpo right now, but he’s one of few superstars in the league who is capable of leading an NBA team. If George could immediately build good chemistry with the core of Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, the Bucks could maintain their status as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
As Hughes noted, George isn’t the only player that the Bucks would acquire in the potential deal with the Clippers. They could also demand the inclusion of established veterans like Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley or a young and promising talent like Landry Shamet.
Meanwhile, though pairing Antetokounmpo with Leonard seems like a pipe dream for the Clippers, most NBA fans would definitely love to see both superstars play together. The duo of Antetokounmpo and Leonard could make the Clippers a more dangerous team in the Western Conference as well as stretch the gap between them and their top rival and Staples Center co-tenant, the Los Angeles Lakers.
