The NBA competitive panorama hung in the duration of equilibrium as a potential Apocalypse of lottery on Monday night. The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs found themselves as the last two teams that represent the rights of Cooper Flagg in the television broadcast. The possibility that Flagg was associated with Victor Wembanyama would have been devastating for the idea of the parity that the League has worked to cultivate, combining the two best perspectives of its generation at the beginning of its careers.
On the other hand, the Spurs were drawn at number 2, which means that the MAVs were somehow the lucky winners of the lottery with only a 1.8 percent probability from the 11th place in the draw.
Flagg went to Dallas only months after the franchise exchanged Luka Doncic to the Lakers, stole the headlines. The landing of the Spurs in number 2 in general is also a wild result given its rumored attached to the second best available asset in the NBA market this summer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo raffle actually began, but only feels like a matter of time. According to reports, Antetokounmpo is “open -minded” about changing the teams this low season after the third consecutive flame of the milwaukee bucks playoffs. Giannis has coquetado with leaving before, but it is different this year after the torn Achilles of Damian Lillard and with the limited ammunition of the Bucks to make another great trade to jump again in real controversy.
The Spurs were on our Giannis suitors list from the beginning. If Antetokounmpo Gallina will play with another star player and competes for championships, landing with Wembanyama seems its best moment even with a movement of the conference is easier for the West much more difficult. Lying selection number 2 and the rights to the Rutgers guard, Dylan Harper, makes their sacrifice against Antetokounmpo much more attractive and gives them a legitimate opportunity to achieve it.
First, we add the players so that the wages work.
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Now, we include a compensation draft. The Spurs have already exchanged their 2027 selection for De’aaron Fox in February. That means that they cannot change their 2026 or 2028 teams due to the Stepien rule. Fortunately, San Antonio has some first of other teams, and that is excellent for Bucks, who probably want to diversify their selections portfolio.
Here is a package of realistic selections for Milwaukee: Atlantas 2027 pick, Boston’s 2028 pick, the 2029 selection of the Spurs. That makes the sacrifice of the Spurs look like this:
San Antonio Spurs gets:
Milwaukee Bucks gets:
- Stephon Castle
- No. 2 General Pection in 2025
- The first round of the Hawks
-
Celtics of the first 2028 round of the first round
- First round pick of 2029 of the Spurs
- Harrison Barnes
- Keldon Johnson
Should spurs make this sacrifice?
There is a case that must be made that the Spurs are better in their assets for now than to charge them all for Giannis. There is no doubt that Giannis is a top 3 player in the world currently, but turns 31 in December, and has suffered a ton of physical blows with some expensive injuries. Giannis does not have a three -point shot, and is always very relaxed in his athletics, which scares for a player as he ages. Stephon’s castle has just won the rookie of the year, Harper is a very good prospect in No. 2 This season, and those are many future selections that could be exchanged for a player who best fits the Wembanyam timeline.
Even so, I would do this like the Spurs.
An Wembanyama Antetokounmpo match would be incredible at both ends of the floor. The defensive advantage speaks for itself; This would be the best defensive base of the League. I also like offensive adjustment if Spurs can get some more shooters on the list. Wembanyama could space for Giannis, the Spurs could stagger their minutes to always have a superstar on the floor, the rebound would be too passive when they both play, and the transition opportunities captivated by their defense would do so in what he would have done what he had done.
A Tweet was circling a Spurs fan on Tuesday that said “Castle/Harper can be something similar to 4-5 years SGA/Dub.” The most likely stage is Neith of those players is as good as Jalen Williams, much less Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Castle is a poor shooter who can’t make his free throws, much less his three. He scored a lot below the efficiency of the league cover as a rookie with 52 percent of true shots. I licked his defense leaving Uconn, but he feels more appropriate as a starter in an elite team, and that is not a player they see when Giannis is on the table. I like Harper more than Castle as a prospect, but he also has some defects that make him less than a blow to no. 2.
Spurs fans will say that this is a lot to sacrifice for Giannis. They are right, but still it might not be the best package that exists.
Should the Bucks take the sacrifice of the Spurs by Giannis?
I think it is possible that dollars can do better than this.
I called the Houston Rockets as Giannis’s largest at the beginning of this month. Houston can sacrifice better and more attractive young players with higher draft selections. If the Rockets build a sacrifice around Amen Thompson with two or Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard, in addition to the first -round selections of Phoenix Suns in 2027 and 2029, in addition to some of the possession elections, that is for me for me the perspective of Milwaukee. It is also possible that Oklahoma City Thunder entered the Giannis Derby if they do not win the 2025 championship.
Bucks will want a war of offers if they exchange giannis, and the spurs that land number 2 in the lottery certainly help. It is likely to take a huge package to obtain Antetokounmpo, and it really has to have to do from the perspective of Milwaukee that does not control their own future assets and cannot copy tank. It will be a stressful decision for all parties involved, but this time, it seems that it will happen.
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