These Three Contenders May Refuse to Pursue Giannis Trade

Adding a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo to your team can instantly make you a title contender. That’s why, with the Giannis trade rumors rumbling, a ton of different teams are likely considering what kind of package they can offer the Milwaukee Bucks to pry him away. 

That being said, adding a player like Giannis mid-season can be difficult. Even for a good team, integrating a superstar takes time. For that reason, some contending teams are reportedly not super interested in pursuing the Greek star. 

Mark Stein recently reported:

“To date, Milwaukee has not and has even countered with whispered messaging that it remains in the market for roster upgrades to help Antetokounmpo, who remains sidelined indefinitely by the scourge of the NBA: A calf strain. There is a growing belief among trade trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo even if the Bucks ultimately do decide to consider in-season proposals for their two-time MVP. All three of those teams, as you can imagine, like what they have going.”

Most teams are locked in on Giannis’ return from injury (and the Bucks actually making him available), so they can pounce in the trade market. There’s no surprise there. What is surprising, however, is that Stein named three contenders that are supposedly not interested in pursuing Giannis. 

Oklahoma City obviously shouldn’t change anything. But what about Houston and San Antonio? They both have tons of assets that could land them Giannis. They also aren’t likely to be able to take down the defending champion Thunder without an x-factor. 

The Rockets and Spurs certainly look good, but grabbing Giannis could instantly make them title favorites. Not to mention, they’d have a top-5 player in his prime for the next few seasons. It seems like a no-brainer for the Rockets or the Spurs to take a shot at landing Giannis. Maybe they’re just posturing…