Bill Simmons weighs in on the Giannis Antentokounmpo-Nets rumors

The Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been linked for days as the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2-8 start warrants trade rumors. The superstar was originally rumored to be dealt if the team’s struggles continued, with the Nets being a preferred destination according to Bill Reiter of CBS Sports.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported that a deal involving Antentokounmpo is “not a reality at this point,” but the Bucks’ 10-game struggles in the 2024-2025 season are alarming. Windhorst said Milwaukee would make a trade to surround the core with a better supporting cast instead of trading and blowing up Antetokounmpo.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons weighed in on the Bucks’ struggles and trade rumors. Simmons, a former NBA analyst for ESPN, believes the Nets are the best option for Antetokounmpo in a trade.

“I think they (the Nets) could just go all in on Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Simmons said. “They just have a lot of choices.”

“They’ve got Cam Thomas, who I was really impressed with, who’s a really good scorer. Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton… (Dennis) Schroder is playing really well. I like them, I actually think they’re a Play -Being on-team at least.”

Simmons’ main point was Brooklyn’s picks, which the team collected through trading stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges. All of this means the Nets have a lot of picks they can use as they rebuild or trade.

It’s certainly tempting if you’re in Milwaukee. The Bucks are a second-tier team, so trade restrictions make things difficult. But considering the team essentially has no room to raise salary and lose with the current core, a trade is certainly possible if the Bucks can’t get it done midseason.

If the Nets take on Antetokounmpo, expect a huge package surrounded by more picks than players. They will have to compete with other teams such as the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets, who are also rumored to be playing for the Greek Freak.

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