“If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that better situation.” Unlike many of the NBA greats who came before him, Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown that he would be okay not finishing his NBA career with the same team. While he has grown as a player and found immense success in Milwaukee, the ‘Greek Freak’ has only won a single championship title in 11 years. Therefore, with about a decade’s worth of basketball left in him, the 29-year-old can make a transition. However, will such a move occur within the next year itself, as a means to ‘correct a mistake’ made by a now minority owner of the Mavs?

According to a recent report by Basketball Forever, the Mavericks are now set to be the front runners for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade next year. This update comes after they were successful in acquiring Klay Thompson, after 13 years in the Warriors, to further bolster their star lineup. Adding the Greek Freak would not only improve the squad but also surround Luka Doncic with another European star, making them lethal. Given how the Slovenian has respected his rival’s prowess by calling him “the best player in the NBA” in 2022, Doncic certainly wouldn’t mind having Giannis as someone who can reduce the offensive pressure.

The update comes just weeks after Mark Cuban had reminisced about their plans to add a center back in 2013 that would complement Dirk Nowitzki well. Cuban made the decision to add Dwight Howard after the franchise had finally secured free cap space. But this pursuit caused them to miss out on Giannis Antetokounmpo, who turned out to be a massive name since the 2013 NBA draft.

“Because there were a bunch of guys in our draft room that wanted to go with Giannis and I was like, and it was on me, because I was like ‘Look, we got Dirk, he’s not 21 anymore. We need to try to get him a center by him because that’s what we’ve always needed,’” Cuban admitted. “And boom, you know, it didn’t happen, and Giannis is Giannis.”

Mark Cuban was not entirely wrong back then. After all, making his debut 54 days before his 19 birthday, the player’s age was lesser than that of an average rookie. Having seen what he has become now, the billionaire, who is now a minority owner, and the rest of the Mavs management, seem to be convinced to make a move. The decision, however, is not something NBA fans are too accepting about.

Fans dismiss any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo-Mavericks team-up: “Does not work financially”

Having accumulated over 460+ comments since the ‘Basketball Forever’ post went viral, several fans have questioned how far such a move would go. After all, as highlighted by one individual, “This does not work financially at all lol.”

Since the updated CBA Guidelines, several NBA franchises have struggled to stay below the luxury tax and second apron limits. As a result, not only will they face restrictions in regards to the taxpayer mid-level exception and the salary that the franchises sends out in trades, but they will also incur heavy fines, depending on how much more they spent over the limits.

The Mavericks currently possess a cap allocation of almost $188.9 million, which is EXACTLY the limit for the second apron next season. Giannis is currently signed under a 3-year, $175.4 contract, out of which $54.1 million will be handed out during the 2025-26 season. Except for Luka, Kyrie, and Klay, every other player is set to make less than $16 million. They will have to trade a bunch of players just to make the cap space available for the Greek star.

By highlighting the comment from ‘Basketball Forever’ about how “NBA execs were reportedly ‘terrified’ Giannis would join Luka Doncic,” another individual dismissed the opinion that their team-up would have as big of an effect as anticipated. After all, “They are both not good enough off ball players and require too much usage this wouldnt work.”

According to a report by Basketball Poetry, Luka Doncic is someone who has been consistently late in rotation and inattentive when it comes to the off-ball role. A major factor behind this has been attributed to his physical build, which seems to have gotten to a worse condition now.

Despite his big size, Giannis himself has often been touted as a good defensive player, making use of the time when he doesn’t have the ball. More than himself, Giannis has criticized his team after poor defensive performances, stating, “I think we were just giving up everything” in January. A player who realizes that, can prove a valuable addition when looking to tackle the opposition defensively.

One social media user joked about the interest that Giannis generates amongst other franchises, stating, “If I had a dollar for every time someone photoshopped Giannis in another jersey I’d have at least $50.”

Since missing out on him during the NBA draft, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks aren’t the only ones who’ve regretted their decision. Many teams are now attempting to bring the Greek Freak to their fold. Just yesterday, it was revealed that the Warriors may be attempting to get the power forward, alongside Jimmy Butler.

According to ‘The Athletic’ reporter Sam Amick, Joe Lacob “has had dreams of Giannis coming the Warriors’ way for a very long time.” With a significant set of trade chips, even the San Antonio Spurs are now rising as contenders. With so many suitors, the 29-year-old certainly has his share of picks to choose from.

While others chose to brush this acquisition off, one individual seemed to endorse the same by stating “Celtics vs Mavs for the next 3 years is gonna be amazing.”

Luka Doncic and Co. made it to the NBA Finals after a 12-season hiatus. Therefore, expectations were on them to put up a good fight against the Celtics. Unfortunately, Jayson Tatum’s squad got the better of them. Currently possessing a 3-2 record against the Cs in the regular season, Giannis and his Bucks have proven themselves to be a worthy adversary. Therefore, adding even one of their high-scoring players to the Mavericks, especially Giannis, would give the Mavericks a better fighting chance in the upcoming seasons.

Overall, a majority of the reactions were dismissive towards Giannis possibly heading to join Luka Doncic and Co. However, with the franchise showing interest, and the ‘Greek Freak’ admitting to being open for a trade, if the offer is good enough, anything can happen.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.