Not long after the rumor mill started raging around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the superstar went down with an untimely calf starin, putting him on the shelf for at least a month. Since then, those teams which everyone penciled in as potential suitors have started to get cold on the thought of trading for the two-time MVP, and the Philadelphia 76ers should definitely see this as a good development.
So far, the 76ers have not indicated any tangible intention of going after Giannis in trade talks, and the fact that the All-Star seems to not have the franchise as one of his landing spots has only pushed them out of the discussion. However, thanks to a well-backed rumor that surfaced as of late, Philly could actually force open a door they thought was already closed.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets — the three teams which are capable of mounting a handsome offer to entice the Bucks into a deal — no longer plan on pursuing Giannis if Milwaukee does make him available for taking in the middle of the season. Obviously, those are three huge omissions from a prospective bidding war for Giannis — something which the 76ers can exploit to their benefit.
The 76ers can now assert themselves in Giannis trade talks
No matter how much the Bucks sourgrape about the situation by forcing their optimistic narrative around the situation, Giannis clearly wants out of Milwaukee. To be quite frank, his stint with the Bucks has simply reached its expiry point.
And now, with those teams — deemed as frontrunners — now out of the picture, the Bucks suddenly face a steeper task of extracting as many assets as they want for Antetokounmpo.
As previously mentioned here, the 76ers are one of the few teams that can actually conjure a good package to sweeten the pot for the Bucks. The question is — will Philly have the necessary degree of chutzpah to make a bold sacrifice for the purpose of getting a paradigm shifter like Giannis? The answer remains to be seen, but at least, the possibility exists.
Names like VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain will surely be tossed up as players whom the Bucks would want in return, and both are huge parts of the franchise’s future. If the 76ers want to go all-in, they can definitely make everyone sweat for the two-time MVP.
Again, it is only a matter of exhibiting a disposition bold enough to embrace the risks associated with going after someone like Giannis although of course, the returns should be massive.