The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard VJ Edgecombe. It's an understandable stance considering how brilliant Edgecombe has been during his rookie season, but the Bucks' interest is directly tied to a potential trade centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Though the thought of acquiring Antetokounmpo amounts to a basketball dream, the 76ers must resist temptation if the Bucks' asking price is as steep as it sounds.
Milwaukee has flirted with the idea of trading Antetokounmpo at various points over the past year, but ultimately walked away from negotiations. That's led many to question if he'll ever be moved. A recent report reveals why it is that such remains unclear.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Bucks declined a trade offer from the Golden State Warriors that included four future first-round draft picks—and are looking for a surplus of draft choices and young players rather than one or the other.
"Multiple sources across the league said the Bucks' asking price was enormous, with an executive from a third team describing the Bucks' process as "gauging the market" and their price as "all our draft picks and good young players." The Golden State Warriors offer included four unprotected first-round picks in pursuit of Antetokounmpo, sources said, but never seemed to gain much momentum on a deal."
What will likely pique the interest of 76ers fans is the subsequent tidbit that Milwaukee is reportedly interested in acquiring Edgecombe from Philadelphia in a potential Antetokounmpo trade.
"The players the Bucks did seem interested in were younger building blocks such as VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said."
For as compelling as that thought may be, the 76ers can't easily justify a trade of this nature despite the obvious appeal of a move for Antetokounmpo.
Bucks open to Giannis for VJ Edgecombe trade, but 76ers need caution
If it were as simple as swapping Edgecombe for Antetokounmpo, not many would oppose the transaction. That says nothing about how good Edgecombe already is or how great he may become, but is instead an acknowledgement of the fact that Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest players in NBA history.
As a former NBA champion, Finals MVP, two-time regular season MVP, and one-time Defensive Player of the Year, Antetokounmpo has a résumé that has many mentioning him as a top-25 all-time player.
Considering he's still only 31 years of age, that's a remarkable fact to consider. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be as simple as trading Edgecombe and a big contract for Antetokounmpo. Instead, it would be a matter of gutting an already questionable roster and proceeding with minimal cap space to surround the remaining talent.
Considering the talent that would be left in place would come with a surplus of injury concerns, there's simply no way to justify a trade for Antetokounmpo under the outlined conditions.
76ers should want Giannis, but need to be realistic about what they have
Pairing Antetokounmpo with star point guard Tyrese Maxey would give Philadelphia an instant path to competing for a championship. It would also have one of Joel Embiid or Paul George, with the other all but certain to be included in the trade for financial reasons alone.
For as compelling as that trio would be, Antetokounmpo is dealing with injuries at 31 years of age and Embiid has missed at least 37 games in each of the past three seasons.
As such, the 76ers would be an injury-prone team with three max-level players, minimal cap space, and limited sources of depth. That's admittedly similar to where they are today, but Edgecombe offers reason for optimism in regard to being able to win long-term and cultivate depth.
Throw in the fact that the Bucks would still want an abundance of draft picks and the virtues of this hypothetical trade fail to outweigh the risks involved in it.