Knicks, Celtics, Cavs, Lakers named top landing spots for $175 million Bucks superstar

The Milwaukee Bucks will likely dominate offseason trade rumors for one obvious reason: they possess a superstar asset that several contenders will be eager to chase. 

That doesn’t mean other franchises won’t make headlines throughout the summer; it just gives Milwaukee a better chance of being the main topic of discussion. 

The Bucks’ two-time MVP forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is likely to get traded this summer after spending a little over a decade in Milwaukee. 

Per a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers are among the franchises fans should expect to be linked to Antetokounmpo moving forward.

"Minnesota (Timberwolves), the Lakers, the Celtics, the (Miami) Heat, and the Knicks were all teams that had interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania said on the Pat McAfee show Monday. “There were conversations, though some teams were more involved than others. Teams like Miami and Minnesota had more extensive back-and-forth discussions, while Cleveland, the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Knicks mainly checked in and talked about concepts.”

"The Celtics did make a call and showed a level of interest, and that is expected to continue into the offseason. However, they never got into the particulars because it takes two to tango. You’re not going to offer up the type of player it might take to complete a deal without interest from the other side." 

The Knicks and Cavaliers are currently competing in the Eastern Conference Finals, making it difficult to gauge their interest in Antetokounmpo.

The Timberwolves could use Julius Randle’s three-year, $100 million contract to help them entice the Bucks in trade talks after a second-round playoff exit, the Heat could be ready to take the next step toward contention by offering Tyler Herro, and the Lakers and Celtics could make Austin Reaves/ Dalton Knecht and Jaylen Brown available in their respective trade packages (however, ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently reported that Los Angeles may not have enough to allure Milwaukee)

Of course, a return to the Bucks is still an option for Antetokounmpo, but it’s more likely the 10-time All-Star will find a new home this offseason.

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