The Philadelphia 76ers are not currently in the running to be a landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that is definitely subject to change. The rumor mill has slowed down after news that the two-time MVP will be missing at least a month due to a calf injury, but the moment he makes his return, he is bound to be at the crux of the newsstands once again.
When that happens, the 76ers could turn out to be one of the very few teams that can entice the Bucks to a deal. After, Philly has the necessary infusion of young talent and the stash of draft picks needed to sweeten the pot for Milwaukee. In fact, the 76ers could make a compelling offer by including their star rookie, VJ Edgecombe, on the table.
Now, do the 76ers have the balls to do that? Many will scoff at the idea of trading such an exciting up-and-coming star, but this is the Greek Freak we are talking about. He has been the best player and the most dominant two-way force in the league for quite some time now, and he is still in the middle of his prime. Landing him would drastically heighten this team’s ceiling.
So what’s the catch?
Do the 76ers have the balls to offer VJ Edgecombe for Giannis?
Despite having Edgecombe, the 76ers are built to win now and they have not been shy to highlight that disposition of theirs, which is spreadeagled across the entire organization. As such, any window to acquire someone like Giannis deserves prolific pondering, and the front office probably thinks the same way given that they are led by a notorious name-hunter in Daryl Morey.
Having said that, Edgecombe has shown real, tangible signs that he could be a superstar in this league. Aside from that, any deal to acquire Giannis would require the 76ers to exhaust their war chest of draft picks. It is pretty obvious that they will have to break the bank to even get to conversations with the Bucks.
The 76ers still have a lot of veteran pieces that they could viably jump back to championship contention with a tremendous floor and ceiling-raiser like Giannis. However, that would require them to mortgage basically their entire future, and that might not be wise given the league suddenly losing a good chunk of the parity it had not too long ago (thanks, OKC).
Of course, there will always be those who would prefer for the 76ers to seize any and all opportunities to maximize their chances at a championship. That train of thought has merit to it, although it is definitely shortsighted.
It remains to be seen whether or not the 76ers will truly push hard on joining in on the Giannis train ride, but if they do, their fate therein will be decided by their willingness to trade VJ Edgecombe. Otherwise, they can safely consider themselves as having booted out of the race, for better or worse.