What's The Sequel To The Luka Doncic Deal? That Would Be A Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Every NBA fan remembers where they were when they found out about the Luka Dončić trade.

It was the type of blockbuster deal that no one saw coming, particularly because there were no indications beforehand that the two biggest characters involved would be going anywhere. 

On the one hand, there was Doncic, the darling of the Dallas Mavericks, the wonder boy from Slovenia who’d made the All-NBA First Team five times before he turned 26. On the other hand, there was Anthony Davis, the generational big man who’d helped LeBron James establish the Los Angeles Lakers as a consistent playoff threat this decade.

The fates of all Dončić, Davis, and those two storied franchises changed shortly past midnight on February 2, 2025, after Shams Charania broke the news of the trade. The shock felt by the NBA community will never be duplicated, but there’s one looming deal that could become the trade season’s most prominent headline.

Imagine the worldwide gasp when Giannis Antetokounmpo finally gets traded for the first time in his career.

It’s a different scenario, of course: In this case, fans and pundits won’t be completely caught unawares, as Antetokounmpo has reportedly engaged in talks regarding his future in Milwaukee with team officials and his agent. These talks are said to have taken place before and during the current season.

The shock value that would come out of this deal would have to do with two things: the assets that Milwaukee will get in return and the team that will secure the services of the Greek Freak. Antetokounmpo’s name has been linked to teams like the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors, but it’s possible that he could end up with some other ball club, leading to dropped jaws all across the globe.

Adding to the drama of this potential story arc is the fact that Antetokounmpo has brought glory to Milwaukee in a way that Dončić was never able to manage when he was in Dallas. In 2021, Antetokounmpo steered the Bucks to a 4–2 conquest of the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals to capture the NBA championship. After that title win (which came with Finals MVP honors, no less), Antetokounmpo stated how proud he was to win with a small-market ball club rather than a superteam in a marquee city.

The thought of Antetokounmpo going to a different team was unfathomable back then. But now, this idea is fathomable. If there’s anything that fans have learned from the Dončić trade, it’s that no NBA superstar is safe.