Giannis Antetokounmpo’s possible trade destinations: Yes, OKC can get him if they want, but teaming up with Wemby also makes sense

According to ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are discussing what the future holds between them.

The Bucks are 9-13 and don’t look like championship contenders at all, which would seem pretty obvious given that the franchise has spent years making decisions that haven’t strengthened the roster.

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Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 in three days, is having another elite season, recording 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists, converting 63.9 percent of his shot attempts.

It goes without saying that more franchises should be interested in acquiring the former Finals MVP. The question is: who are good candidates?

Before I list the teams, a quick preface: While the Bucks could trade Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, more options should be available if they wait until the offseason, when teams can make trades that include multiple players for a single contract.

Now let’s get down to business.

New York Knicks

Let’s get this thing out of the way soon. Antetokounmpo is believed to have interest in the Knicks, one of the most marketable teams in the league.

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Any type of trade would almost certainly have to start with the contract of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is the only player who comes close to Antetokounmpo’s contract value.

Towns, who makes $53.1 million this season, is making a million less than Antetokounmpo, meaning the Knicks will have to add contracts to make the numbers work because they are on the first apron and can’t accept a single dollar more than they send.

In terms of value, however, the Knicks will find themselves in a difficult position. They don’t have a plethora of draft picks, nor do they have a lot of young players.

If anything, the Knicks are made up of mostly marquee players, which doesn’t align with the inevitable rebuilding process the Bucks would begin after trading their franchise star.

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Ultimately, stars tend to make their way where they want, and if Antetokounmpo wants the Knicks, it’s a destination that can’t be ruled out.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Making the numbers work will be a bit of a pain, but since the Thunder are under the first apron, they can take back more money in a trade than they send.

Furthermore, the value alignment in this trade would be quite simple, as the Thunder can send Milwaukee multiple attractive picks, including this year’s selection via the Los Angeles Clippers.

It’s easy to argue that Oklahoma City is in no rush to make any upgrades, given that they are the defending champion and have a 20-1 record on the season.

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However, they need to at least discuss the possibility because it’s Antetokounmpo. And that doesn’t mean one or two internal meetings, but numerous meetings to officially evaluate whether to use Isaiah Hartenstein’s contract ($28.5 million) as the primary outgoing salary component.

The Thunder will be a team on the apron soon enough, so this may be their only chance at Antetokounmpo before their roster becomes too expensive.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs remain the most attractive destination, as they can make the salary-matching components work – especially using De’Aaron Fox’s contract – and send a package from their bounty of picks and young players.

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San Antonio can also offer expiring contracts in the form of Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk, helping Milwaukee shed money next summer and providing the Bucks with more financial flexibility to make additional moves in the summer.

(Alternatively, if the Bucks undertake a full rebuild, they can expand a deal into a three-team trade and acquire the two expiring players to long-term contracts, with expensive teams compensating them with draft capital to take on future money.)

Essentially, the Spurs can offer a healthy mix of everything and, as with Oklahoma City and New York, are able to offer Antetokounmpo a winning program to chase a second title.

The allure of French phenom Victor Wembanyama will also certainly work in San Antonio’s favor.

Wherever Antetokounmpo ends up landing, it will take a significant package to get him — and rightly so.