The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes appear to be in full swing.
Many reports indicate teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets have been linked to Giannis. However, Howard Beck of The Ringer listed some destinations for Giannis, which included big market cities like Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
Chicago?
Beck did note that Houston should have come up. Still, this list is clearly connected to market size, which Beck notes appeals to Giannis. Do all of these teams actually have a shot at Giannis?
Giannis prefers a trade to a big market?
On one hand, these rumors make sense. Giannis has spent his entire 12-year career in Milwaukee and could be seeking the glamor of a big city. It's also easy to land other stars in a bigger market. The Nets, Heat, and Knicks have also been rumored destinations for some time.
While there have been rumblings about the Lakers, they don't have the assets needed to pull off a trade for Giannis. Additionally, after the Luka Doncic trade, Giannis "joked" about all the international stars going to big markets. Maybe this was him hinting at his trade preference after all.
Why this Giannis trade rumor doesn't totally add up
While it's easy to see why a star would prefer a bigger market, many of these rumored destinations don't make sense. Chicago, in particular, is puzzling; they'd have to gut their young core and future assets to pull off a trade. Moreover, they haven't had much success in the past decade or been linked to Giannis before.
Similarly, the Clippers and Lakers don't have the assets to pull off a trade. The Heat wouldn't offer Giannis the best chance to compete for a title, especially after gutting their assets to land him. It would take a monumental offer for the Knicks to trade for Giannis. Although Brooklyn is armed with assets, they would have to either sign or trade for another star to compete. If Giannis truly prefers, he'd have to count on the team landing other stars for many of these destinations to work out.
Teams like the Thunder and Spurs can make better offers for Giannis while giving him a better chance to compete. These are undoubtedly better basketball situations than a team like Chicago. Would he really pass up a chance to play alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Victor Wembanyama for a bigger market?
Houston is arguably the best balance between market size and competing for a title. Therefore, to Beck's point, they should absolutely be mentioned. While it's unclear if the Warriors could make a competitive offer for Giannis, the Bay Area is a pretty big market, and a duo of Giannis and Stephen Curry would automatically compete for a title.
Everything we know is that winning is a top priority, and as a result, these rumors don't totally add up. Ultimately, despite this report, don't be surprised if Giannis lists his trade preferences and sacrifices the allure of a big market for a better chance of winning a title.