.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith turned heads on Tuesday morning with his bold trade idea regarding Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren.
During a segment on ESPN's First Take, Smith urged the Thunder to package Holmgren in a trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo if OKC falls to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
“Imagine Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running the floor with Giannis,” Smith said. “You put Giannis in that situation, and he’s good for 30 (points) and 11 (rebounds) … Giannis is just a rumor right now as far as what he can do in the playoffs. It’s been that long.”
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 19, 2026Smith proposed sending Holmgren, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks to Milwaukee for the 10-time All-Star.
The Bucks are actively open to receiving trade offers for Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee is operating with the goal of finalizing a trade before the draft. As things stand, it's unclear if the Thunder would consider trading for the two-time MVP.
We’ll see how the season ends before knowing whether the Thunder would even have real interest in Antetokounmpo.
Victor Wembanyama stakes claim as best player in the world
Smith posed the trade idea largely due to the dominance of Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama in Game 1. The 22-year-old superstar may have made a case for being the best player in the world on Monday night, having his way with Holmgren and the Thunder.
In the contest, Wembanyama tallied 41 points, 24 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 49 minutes of the double overtime thriller.
Holmgren is somewhat responsible for the dominance that Wembanyama displayed. Particularly down the stretch of the game, Holmgren hardly guarded Wembanyama.
The two appear to have some sort of beef from their earlier playing days, but so far, Wembanyama has proved to be the clear-cut best player of the two.
English (US)