Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on the move this summer.
Following another first-round exist, there has been league-wide speculation that the Milwaukee Bucks superstar could ask out of Milwaukee and be traded.
However, Antetokounmpo is still under contract with the Bucks through 2026-27 so there is no real incentive for Milwaukee to trade him.
If the 30-year-old is shopped around, there will be many teams lined up trying to make a compelling offer for him.
The Toronto Raptors would certainly be one of those teams to show interest in Giannis if he’s made available.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri has long coveted Antetokounmpo for more than a decade going back to the 2013 NBA Draft when the Raptors tried trading into the first-round to get him.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently proposed a Raptors mock trade for Antetokounmpo:
Toronto Raptors receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, 2025 first-round pick (top-two-protected), 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick and 2031 first-round pick
In this trade the Raptors would be parting ways with their newly acquired forward Brandon Ingram along with RJ Barrett and a boatload of first-round picks. While the first-round picks seem like a lot, this is what the expected draft capital for Giannis could look like.
However, the Raptors trading Ingram in this situation doesn’t make sense. If the Raptors do trade for Antetokounmpo it would likely be for Scottie Barnes. While Barnes and Antetokounmpo seem like an enticing duo on paper, both players struggle mightily from three and have very overlapping play styles making their fit questionable. Whereas Antetokounmpo with Ingram would be a much better fit and would immediately push the Raptors closer to championship contention which is what their intention would be if they made such a trade.
If the Raptors make another all-in, win-now trade they would be better off keeping Ingram who is in his prime along with Antetokounmpo.
Pass on this trade.
Raptors projected to take Khaman Maluach in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft
The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 12.
The Toronto Raptors will have the seventh best odds entering the lottery.
They will have a 31.9 percent chance to jump into the top four and a 7.5 percent chance to win the lottery and get the No. 1 overall pick.
In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman has the Raptors picking at No. 7 and taking Duke big man Khaman Maluach who he compares to Mark Williams.
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