While the collective eyes of the NBA world are on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP reportedly has eyes on the Philadelphia 76ers. As he's been scanning the market for a new hoops home away from Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has grown intrigued by "the prospect of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey," per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Between Maxey's continued ascension, Joel Embiid's return to form (and desire for a trade-deadline upgrade), and the wide-open nature of the Eastern Conference, Philly's time to strike could be right now. The Sixers have the assets to land Antetokounmpo, too—but it'd cost them one of the most promising prospects in the Association.
Is the present impact of Antetokounmpo worth giving up the long-term potential of standout rookie V.J. Edgecombe? That's the biggest question bouncing around the City of Brotherly Love, and perhaps one Milwaukee will want answered before sending Antetokounmpo anywhere. Because if the Sixers include Edgecombe in their offer, a handshake agreement could happen soon.
Before digging into the details of this hypothetical deal, a few elephant-sized room occupants must be addressed. First, the Sixers reportedly haven't reached out to the Bucks about Antetokounmpo, per The Stein Line crew, so maybe Philly wants to no part of the league's latest (and greatest) trade frenzy. Second, the idea of Philly including Edgecombe in "any move" was "completely shot down," per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, so perhaps the Sixers wouldn't give this a second thought.
Is that the right approach, though? While Edgecombe is 11 years younger than Antetokounmpo and has sample amounts of both sizzle and substance in his game, there's also a mystery-box element in all of this. Look, Edgecombe could be great down the line, but will his peak ever approach Antetokounmpo's current form?
That's not to slight Edgecombe in any way, but Antetokounmpo already has an all-time resume (two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year, a Finals MVP, nine All-NBA selections) and has yet to vacate his prime. Injuries have become a bigger hurdle for Antetokounmpo as he's moved into his 30s—an understandable worry for the Sixers given Embiid's availability issues—but that's pretty much it in terms of any age-related impact.
Edgecombe could grow into an all-league defender and all-star scorer and still struggle to reach Antetokounmpo's apex. So, for those quick to dismiss the idea of a deal, just know that's the type of prize we're talking about.
An educated guess says the Sixers' hang-up is accelerating the timeline and again growing uncomfortably reliant on keeping Embiid upright. I get that. It's legitimate. But if the Sixers can keep him going at his current pace, then they'd immediately have basketball's best Big Three—and almost certainly a more talented and productive trio than Maxey, Edgecombe, and Player X would ever be.
And since the Sixers wouldn't have to cough up as much draft capital as other Antetokounmpo suitors, they'd still have the resources to add more to this roster. It'd take everything breaking just right, but there's actual Superteam potential here.
If it's me, I'm opening the phone lines with Milwaukee and pitching an offer built around George, Jared McCain, and as many first-round picks as possible. But I'm also doing so while knowing in the back of my mind that a deal isn't happening without Edgecombe, and that's ultimately a painful concession I'd make minutes before Thursday's trade deadline passes at 3 p.m. ET.