The Spurs must make 1 deal with the 2025-26 NBA trade season

The biggest name on trade block is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Double MVP is open for trading from Milwaukee Bucks for some time now. He is currently sidelined due to injurybut he and the Bucks recently decided to look into a possible trade.

As one of the best players in the NBAit should take a lot to acquire Antetokounmpo. Only a handful of teams across the NBA have the means to offer a fair package to Milwaukee, and San Antonio Spurs are one of them. In a stacked Western Conference, the Spurs should take a gamble and trade for the Greek freak, but what would the deal look like?

The Spurs can make a hit for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Spurs get: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Bucks receive: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk, 2027 first-round pick (via Hawks), 2028 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick, four second-round picks

Spurs proved they were a legitimate threat when they made it all the way NBA Cup Championship Game. The team has each of the last two Rookie of the Year winners in Victor Vembania and Stephon Castle, the former of whom is living up to his draft credentials and establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA.

Dylan Harper, the number two overall pick, also shined during his rookie season. A big reason why the Spurs have taken a step forward is because they are traded for a veteran All-Star last year. Injury prevented De’Aaron Fox from making a big impact last season, but he helped the team become one of the best teams in the Western Conference this year.

The safe approach would be to develop this core together, but the Spurs shouldn’t be afraid to make another move. A trade for Antetokounmpo would create the most physically gifted frontcourt duo in NBA history. At 7-foot-4, Vembanyama is a perennial block leader and possesses the skills of a unicorn on offense. Antetokounmpo is an athletic specimen who is nearly impossible to stop inside. He also holds the title of Defensive Player of the Year.

A core with Antetokounmpo, Wembanyam, Fox, Castle and Harper would make the Spurs immediate title contenders. The team could even push past the Oklahoma City Thunder as the best team in the NBA. While the Spurs are somewhat mortgaging their future in this trade, they are able to keep a bunch of their recent recruits in the deal, which is another reason for the move.

Would the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Spurs?

That’s the biggest obstacle to an Antetokounmpo-San Antonio trade rumors suggest the The Bucks may not sell the franchise legend to the highest bidder. Instead, the Bucks plan to do right by Antetokounmpo and trade him to where he wants to be, and Antetokounmpo wants to be in New York.

If Antetokounmpo changes his mind about where he wants to be, or if the Bucks decide to seek the biggest return for their star, then the Spurs will make the most sense in the NBA. The Spurs still have a surplus of future draft picks, even after dealing Fox last season.

Four picks in the first round and four players in the second round would certainly help the Bucks rebuild and start life after Antetokounmpo. While the Spurs would keep most of their core in this deal, Keldon Johnson would be a nice addition for the Bucks. Johnson’s numbers have declined in recent years as he’s taken on a smaller role, but Johnson is only 26 years old and has averaged over 20 points per game in the past.

With so little future draft capital of their own, it would make a lot of sense for the Bucks to look for a package that the Spurs can offer. A permanent pick-rich trade makes more sense for the Bucks than one loaded with players. Trading a franchise icon like Antetokounmpo wouldn’t be easy for the Bucks, but it would be easier if he went to the Western Conference and the Bucks got a haul as big as this trade package in exchange for his services.