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The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping to avoid losing star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a trade, but they could need a blockbuster of their own to keep him happy.
ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported that multiple team and league sources say the Bucks have been “active in pursuing the trade market, engaging in internal conversations about, among others, [Sacramento Kings shooting guard] Zach LaVine, whom they have had interest in and chances to acquire in the past.”
LaVine has been rumored to be a top trade candidate ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as the Kings declined to give him a contract extension this past offseason. Pairing him with Antetokounmpo would give the two-time MVP a reliable No. 2 option to shoulder some of the offensive burden.
Collier also named Kings guard Malik Monk and Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant as players that the Bucs have discussed as possible trade pursuits. However, Milwaukee isn’t as equipped to pull off a major deal this season as it was in years’ past.
Collier explained that the Bucks have only one first-round pick, in either 2031 or 2032, available to trade, but team and league sources “do not believe they would” deal the pick away unless it was for “a significant star.” Also, Antetokounmpo carries the most trade value on the team, while players like forwards Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma aren’t likely to garner significant returns. Rival executives reportedly have “suggested that teams might be waiting to make other moves until they have certainty about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.”
Still, some around the NBA feel that the Bucks will continue to try to explore ways to improve their roster before giving up on trying to retain Antetokounmpo.
“Give [general manager Jon Horst] credit for reinventing the wheel multiple times over the years,” a league source told Collier. “At some point the levy [is] going to break, it’s just about when.”