Giannis Antetokounmpo reigns as the NBA MVP and he is expected to retain the crown this season. So it's only expected that rivals teams would want to lure the Greek Freak away from the Milwaukee Bucks and the latest rumored to join the fray are the Toronto Raptors.
The defending champions have been impressive in the season so far despite losing Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers last summer. The crew now led by Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, and Marc Gasol may not be able to repeat their stunning over the Golden State Warriors last season but they can rebuild to gain more muscle and try again next year.
To make such a plan happen, Fadeaway World said the Raptors front office could be looking for a way to recruit a superstar that will take the place of Leonard. And there is one man on top of the list - Antetokounmpo.
Citing the recent story from Sports Illustrated, the report said Masai Ujiri, Toronto's president of basketball operations, might just pull off a coup that would see Antetokounmpo suiting up for the Raptors as early as next season.
"Giannis Antetokounmpo rejects a contract extension from Milwaukee this summer, is traded to Toronto and the Raptors-backstopped by Giannis and Pascal Siakam-win the 2021 NBA championship," the report cited the SI story as saying.
But be reminded that the rumored move by Ujiri has to be predicated by the Greek Freak refusing to sign a new deal with the Bucks, which seemed unlikely as the team is well-positioned to soon win an NBA title.
However, the reigning MVP could grow impatient after nearly seven years of campaigning for Milwaukee. And with the big possibility of joining up with a team that has a proven track record of winning, Antetokounmpo could disrupt the situation with his current club and shy away from an extension deal to keep his options open.
That being the case, the Bucks could be left with little choice but to search for trade partners on the franchise superstar, SI said in a separate report.
"The Milwaukee Bucks are more likely to trade Antetokounmpo than let him walk as a free agent if he doesn't accept a contract extension this summer," the report stated.
This will be the case if the Bucks' offer for Antetokounmpo to stay longer is rejected. The team will put him on the market and capitalize on his expected high value instead of letting him walk away for free. Note that Antetokounmpo's contract with Toronto will expire in 2021.
On part of the Raptors, to convince the Bucks that a trade will be mutually beneficial, the likes of OG Anunoby, Terence Davis, and Lowry have to be made available for Milwaukee's picking. This packaged offering is in consideration that Toronto plans to keep Siakam to play in tandem with Antetokounmpo.
