The Utah Jazz are one of the few teams with the assets and trajectory to land Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The rumor mill around Giannis Antetokounmpo has been going off ever since the Milwaukee Bucks star insinuated that his future may not be with the franchise that drafted and developed him. The two-time MVP and NBA Champion are on an aging roster, and they have no assets left to move to help Antetokounmpo get another ring. They’re banking on squeezing Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton dry to try and get their superstar another ring.
They’re all in their mid-30s, while Antetokounmpo isn’t even 29 yet. The concern about the long-term viability of title contention is fair at this point. Antetokounmpo did what he promised, he won the franchise a title and stayed loyal to them, but now his legacy looms large and he may want to chase down a better opportunity with a younger roster.
So anyone thinking that Antetokounmpo would go from one aging roster in Milwaukee to another aging roster in Golden State is fooling themselves. There’s no reason to think that Antetokounmpo would go to a team like the Warriors with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson at 38 and 36 years old respectively. Anyone pitching that narrative isn’t to be considered serious. Why would Antetokounmpo go to a team on its last legs, when that’s exactly what he’s trying to avoid in Milwaukee?
And while some teams can fight to make cap space for Antetokounmpo when he’s 30 and his contract has expired, it’s far more likely that Milwaukee will trade their superstar, to avoid being left with nothing when he leaves.
And who has the most assets and some of the most cap space in the league? The Utah Jazz. The Jazz have more than enough first-round picks to make a deal happen without harming their long-term viability, and they have the contracts needed to make a trade happen; all without hurting the team’s roster.
Six first-round picks would make it work, as well as matching contracts. The Jazz could send over a deal that includes Kelly Olylnyk, and Talen Horton-Tucker for expiring contracts, Taylor Hendricks and Ochai Agbaji to go with the gaggle for first-round picks, as well as Kris Dunn and Omer Yurtseven or they can include Juan Toscano-Anderson as part of a sign-and-trade.
That would mean you would keep Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Brice Sensabaugh, Keyonte George, John Collins, and Walker Kessler as your core around Antetokounmpo. That’s not to mention that Luka Samanic, Johnny Juzang, and Simeon Fontecchio are all guys who look like they could break out for the Jazz at some point in the near future.
Think of that roster; you’d have Sexton, Clarkson, Markkanen, Antetokounmpo, and Kessler as your starting five. Then you’d have Collins as your sixth man, with George, Sensabaugh, Samanic, and Fontecchio being your key rotation guys off the bench.
Plus, if you only give up six first-round picks, you’d still have nine to use to build around that core going forward.
The only hang-up is whether or not Antetokounmpo would extend his contract with the Jazz. He’s certainly looking to win with a younger team, and the Jazz is one of the few teams who can give him exactly that, without mortgaging the future.