“There’s a rising sense of confidence that if things go badly in Milwaukee that Giannis could be available for trade, would really force his way out of Milwaukee, in the next year.” CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter recently presented Bucks fans with a harsh reality, pouring more gasoline on the fire of a rumor that the franchise may not possess its lead scorer soon. The Bucks are not having a good track record, having won only 1 of their 6 regular season games. With their roster-building options having been exhausted, and with the franchise facing difficulties staying below the luxury tax and apron limits, trading the Greek Freak seems a viable option. The question that needs to be asked in this case is: Where will Giannis Antetokounmpo go?

CBS’ sources believe that a couple of “Teams are circling — and hopeful,” about the Greek Freak’s future. One of them seems fairly confident that the ongoing season will not be the one during which Bucks fans will have to bid adieu to their star. “Not till this summer at the earliest,” a source told NJ Advance media. Despite that, they weren’t looking to sideline potential suitors.

As per another source, “The only places I can see him going are Miami or [the] LA [Clippers].” Another source, who reportedly believes that a trade can occur as early as the deadline, wasn’t willing to rule out the LA franchise. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks believes, “Brooklyn would have a stronger chance with draft picks.”

According to other reports, however, Giannis has already “let some people know that places he’s eyeing are Miami and New York.” However, the last thing that the Bucks want to do is trade their star player to a conference contender!

Giannis’s $175 million extension is set to expire after the 2027-28 season. The next franchise that provides the ‘Greek Freak’ with a contract needs to have deep pockets. The Bucks currently possess a $207.7 million salary cap, placing them way above the luxury tax and apron limits stipulated under the updated CBA guidelines. However, the LA Clippers currently possess a $177.5 million salary cap, placing them in a better financial situation than their rival. Furthermore, any players that the Bucks trade in exchange for Giannis would only help in easing the max cap allotment, allowing Giannis to receive a possible huge extension deal.

Despite a good start to the regular season, the LA Clippers are now back to being in a precarious position. If Kawhi Leonard’s absence in light of his injury wasn’t a big enough problem, the franchise’s lack of future draft capital makes the overall situation worrisome.

In light of this, they need to secure their future, which Giannis Antetokounmpo can help them with. Unfortunately, things are easier said than done. In the end, the fact remains that the LA side might not be in a situation to acquire the ‘Greek Freak.’

What difficulties can the Clippers face when looking to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo?

For one, Giannis has not expressed any desire that he would want to align with the LA franchise. He did send out praises for Patrick Beverley one time. The same came when referencing how things have changed between them from Beverley’s time with the Clippers and then with the Bucks. However, that’s been it. He’s expressed his desire to take up a trade sometime in the future. However, he also revealed that he would do so only “If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that better situation.”

The fact that the Clippers haven’t won the championship title even once, and made the Conference Finals only a single time in their entire history, does not bode well for them. When discussing the possibility of a trade in a realistic manner, the Clippers simply don’t have anything tempting to offer the Bucks. After all, they exhausted most of their picks in the OKC trade for Paul George.

The Clippers can’t include Kawhi Leonard in the trade offer, with him being one of their star players. They could instead offer a combination of James Harden, P.J. Tucker, and a smaller-salaried athlete, like Kobe Brown, but would they wish to part ways with the 35-year-old vet? On top of that, they reportedly won’t make an offer till December 15, leaving others to come up with a better deal.

Would you like to see Giannis Antetokounmpo don a LA Clippers jersey? Or try his luck out with another franchise? Let us know in the comments down below.