Would the Thunder dare trade this Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Bucks?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions, and they followed up their win in the NBA Finals with a 21-1 start to the season. The team has won 13 straight games and looks completely unstoppable, especially now Jaylen Williams is back to the fold. Despite how great the Thunder are now, they are better prepared for the future than any other team.

They have tons of depth, recent recruiting and future capital. Their last two picks in the first round, Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topić, they haven’t even dressed up yet. When it comes to the draft, the Thunder they are 13 future first-round picks and 16 more future second-rounders. The team thrives on evaluating and developing talent, so they will continue to add to the roster with impact players on rookie contracts.

However, Oklahoma City also has more firepower to outbid anyone else for stars via trade. Giannis Antetokounmpoone of the best players in the NBAis the latest megastar to hit the market. He and the The Milwaukee Bucks are rethinking their future with the team, and this situation could lead to a trade. So, would the Thunder do what they so easily could and trade for Antetokounmpo, despite the fact that they already have the best record in the NBA.

Thunder trade proposal for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Thunder receives: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Bucks receive: Isaiah Hartenstein, Lou Dort, Nikola Topic, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick (via 76ers), 2026 first-round pick (via Jazz), 2030 first-round pick, five second-round picks

If the Thunder wanted to trade for Antetokounmpo, they could send the Bucks a package full of future draft picks. In this deal, the Thunder would send four first-rounders and five second-round picks. No one else in the league could compete with that package. The Bucks are more likely to be looking to rebuild than retool if they trade Antetokounmpo.

That’s why adding three first-round picks in 2026 that could immediately usher in a new era would have to be intriguing for Milwaukee. Even a surplus of second-rounders would benefit the Bucks more than any other team in the NBA, as Milwaukee lacks depth and future draft capital.

Furthermore, the Thunder could send Topic, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lou Dort. Topic is a jumbo moderator currently recovering from testicular cancer. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, and while the start of his career hasn’t gone according to plan, the Serbian was recently a first-round pick with great potential. Dort is one of the leading point guards in the NBA, and Hartenstein has proven to be a reliable inside-scoring and rebounding center in recent years.

Reports suggest that the Bucks it goes to respect Antetokounmpo listening to where he wants to be traded, instead of sending him to the highest bidder. However, by trading him to the Thunder, they would surely be best prepared for life without the Greek Freak.

Should the Thunder trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?

While sending Antetokounmpo to Oklahoma City would make sense for the Bucks, it may not make sense for the Thunder right now. The Thunder may not want to mess up what they have. While Antetokounmpo is still an MVP-caliber player, and he would likely thrive in Oklahoma City’s system, he hasn’t been a perfect fit.

The Thunder succeeds in part because everyone on the team passes the ball well and hits threes. Antetokounmpo is more of a ball-dominant player who recklessly drives into the lane and uses his size and physicality to score. His jump shot is questionable, and current MVP Shai Giljus-Alexander is Thunder’s heliocentric superstar.

The Thunder can trade for a superstar whenever they want because of the surplus in the draft, but they should try to repeat as champions with their current core. If the team fails to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year, then they may consider a blockbuster offseason move.

Of course, Antetokounmpo could be gone by then, but for now teams may be afraid to trade for him because suffered a shin injury in his final game, just hours after news of his trade interest broke. The injury will keep him sidelined for up to a month, so at the very least, the Thunder have a few weeks to make sure their winning streak doesn’t end. If something changes drastically between now and when Antetokounmpo is ready to return to action, then the Thunder might be able to make this trade. For now, there’s no need to fix something that isn’t broken.