Danny Green And Kendrick Perkins Disagree On Best Landing Spot For Giannis

With a week left before the trade deadline, everyone and their local barber has an opinion on the best destination for a disgruntled Giannis Antetokounmpo. This discussion carried over to the “NBA Today” panel, which had two former NBA players disagreeing on the most suitable landing spot for the Greek Freak.

Unsurprisingly, Danny Green went with a bit of a homer pick by choosing a team he used to play for. “That’s the San Antonio Spurs,” Green said on Wednesday. “When you look at the Spurs and talk about the ‘Twin Towers,’ why not have the ‘Twin Towers’ here with Giannis and Victor Wembanyama?”

Green, who won an NBA title with the Spurs in 2014, certainly knows his former franchise’s history. In 1997, San Antonio assembled a formidable frontcourt duo when they drafted Tim Duncan to play alongside former MVP David Robinson. This pairing would win two championships over the next six years, and it’s likely that the Spurs front office would have similarly grand ambitions if they were to ever secure the services of Antetokounmpo.

Interestingly, the Spurs had figured heavily in trade talks with another generational talent this past offseason. San Antonio was one of the teams linked to Kevin Durant when he was on his way out of Phoenix, but ultimately, the Spurs lost out to their Texas neighbor.

It’s that neighbor that weighed on Kendrick Perkins’ mind as he made his pick for Antetokounmpo’s destination. “You know who can coexist?” Perkins asked his fellow panelists. “Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Damn it, H-Town, stand up!”

Perk, a native of Beaumont, Texas, may be on to something with his selection of the Houston Rockets. Though the Rockets’ performance this season has been solid, they appear to be a piece away from having a true fighting chance against the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder (and, to an extent, Wembanyama’s Spurs). Though Houston might have to cut ties with some young assets to get this done, the short-term and long-term returns brought by a two-time MVP could justify the cost.

It’s possible, of course, that both Green and Perkins are off on their guesses. The other “NBA Today” analyst, two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike, went with the New York Knicks, pointing out that Antetokounmpo had seriously considered the Big Apple in the offseason. 

All three of these landing spots make sense, but the Bucks don’t have time on their side as they weigh their options before the February 5 trade deadline.