The NBA’s aggressive panorama hung within the stability throughout a possible lottery apocalypse on Monday night time. The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs discovered themselves because the final two groups standing for the rights to Cooper Flagg on the TV broadcast. The prospect of Flagg teaming up with Victor Wembanyama would have been devastating for the concept of parity that the league has labored to domesticate, pairing the 2 finest prospects of their era early of their careers.
As a substitute, the Spurs have been drawn at No. 2, that means the Mavs have been someway the fortunate winners of the lottery with solely a 1.8 p.c likelihood from the eleventh spot within the drawing.
Flagg going to Dallas solely months after the franchise traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers rightfully stole headlines. The Spurs touchdown at No. 2 total can also be a wild consequence given their rumored connected to the second-best obtainable asset on the NBA market this summer season.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes haven’t truly began but, nevertheless it solely looks like a matter of time. Antetokounmpo is reportedly “open-minded” about altering groups this offseason after the Milwaukee Bucks’ third straight playoff flameout. Giannis has flirted with leaving earlier than, nevertheless it’s completely different this 12 months after Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles and with the Bucks’ restricted ammo to make one other large commerce to vault them again into actual rivalry.
The Spurs have been on our record of Giannis suitors from the very starting. If Antetokounmpo needs to play with one other star participant and compete for championships, touchdown subsequent to Wembanyama looks as if his finest guess even with a transfer from the better Jap Convention to the far more troublesome West. Touchdown the No. 2 decide and the rights to Rutgers guard Dylan Harper makes their provide for Antetokounmpo much more interesting and offers them a legit likelihood to get him.
First, let’s add the gamers to make the salaries work.
Now, let’s embrace draft compensation. The Spurs already traded away their 2027 decide for De’Aaron Fox in Feb. Meaning they will’t commerce their 2026 or 2028 picks due to the Stepien Rule. Luckily, San Antonio has just a few firsts from different groups, and that’s nice for the Bucks, who doubtless wish to diversify their picks portfolio.
Right here’s a practical picks bundle again to Milwaukee: Atlanta’s 2027 decide, Boston’s 2028 decide, the Spurs’ 2029 decide. That makes the Spurs provide look one thing like this:
San Antonio Spurs get:
Milwaukee Bucks get:
Stephon Citadel
No. 2 total decide in 2025
Hawks’ 2027 first-round decide
Celtics’ 2028 first-round decide
Spurs’ 2029 first-round decide
Harrison Barnes
Keldon Johnson
Ought to the Spurs make this provide?
There’s a case to be made that the Spurs are higher off holding onto their belongings for now than cashing all of them in for Giannis. There’s little question that Giannis is a top-3 participant on this planet presently, however he turns 31 in Dec., and he’s endured a ton of bodily pounding with just a few pricey accidents. Giannis doesn’t have a three-point shot, and he’s at all times relied closely on his athleticism, which is frightening for a participant as he ages. Stephon Citadel simply gained Rookie of the 12 months, Harper is an excellent prospect at No. 2 this season, and that’s lots of future picks that could possibly be traded for a participant that matches Wembanyama’s timeline higher.
Nonetheless, I might do that because the Spurs.
A Wembanyama-Antetokounmpo pairing can be superior on each ends of the ground. The defensive upside speaks for itself; this could be the perfect defensive basis within the league. I just like the offensive match too if the Spurs can get just a few extra shooters on the roster. Wembanyama might area for Giannis, the Spurs might stagger their minutes to at all times have one famous person on the ground, the rebounding can be overwhelming when each are enjoying, and the transition alternatives brought on by their protection can be extremely environment friendly.
A tweet was going round from a Spurs fan on Tuesday that stated “Citadel/Harper will be one thing much like SGA/J-Dub in 4-5 years.” The extra doubtless state of affairs is neither of these gamers is ever pretty much as good as Jalen Williams, not to mention Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Citadel is a poor shooter who can’t even make his free throws, not to mention his threes. He scored means under league-average effectivity as a rookie with 52 p.c true capturing. I favored his protection popping out of UConn, however he feels finest suited as a fourth starter on an elite staff, and that’s not a participant you balk at when Giannis is on the desk. I like Harper greater than Citadel as a prospect, however he has some flaws too that make him lower than a slam dunk at No. 2.
Spurs followers will say it is a lot to supply for Giannis. They’re proper, nevertheless it nonetheless may not be the perfect bundle on the market.
Ought to the Bucks take the Spurs provide for Giannis?
I feel it’s doable the Bucks can do higher than this.
I named the Houston Rockets as the largest Giannis suitor earlier this month. Houston can provide higher and extra interesting younger gamers with higher-upside draft picks. If the Rockets constructed a suggestion round Amen Thompson with two of Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard, plus the Phoenix Suns’ first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, plus a few of their very own picks, that to me looks like the very best provide from Milwaukee’s perspective. It’s doable the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder get within the Giannis derby too in the event that they don’t win the 2025 championship.
The Bucks will desire a bidding warfare in the event that they commerce Giannis, and the Spurs touchdown the No. 2 decide within the lottery actually helps. It’s doubtless going to take an enormous bundle to get Antetokounmpo, and it actually has to from Milwaukee’s perspective on condition that they don’t management their very own future belongings and might’t correctly tank. It’s going to be a disturbing resolution for each concerned get together, however this time, it feels prefer it’s going to occur.
