What happens if Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade? This 3-team deal could do it | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The Bucks would not want to trade Antetokounmpo, who is under contract through 2028 (including a 2027-28 player option). Milwaukee can easily refuse, but star players tend to have their way in the NBA.

If Antetokounmpo chose to play the villain, it could make the Bucks accept their situation with clear eyes. The squad is getting old. Defensively, the team isn't what it was since trading Jrue Holiday to acquire Lillard. Khris Middleton will likely pick up his $34 million player option for next season. If Bobby Portis picks up his player option ($13.4 million) or opts out and demands a raise, the Bucks will continue to pay luxury taxes for the sixth straight year in 2025-26.

Meanwhile, the product on the floor has declined and the front office has been unable to find young, impactful players to rejuvenate the roster. Losing Antetokounmpo sounds like accepting a rebuild, but the team is currently in the middle of the pack in the East, and the Rockets' return adds valuable depth to the build.

According to NBA.com's John Schuhmann, Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick in June's draft, was projected by NBA general managers to be the rookie of the year and the best player in his class in five years. Currently, Sheppard is buried behind Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green in Houston. He didn't have the opportunity to show what he could do in a more prominent role.

Thompson (the No. 4 overall pick in 2023) is a super-athletic 6'7 point forward. At worst, Smith (the No. 3 overall pick in 2022) is a high-level role player. He could also thrive in a more important role in a new environment.

The Bucks would also receive plenty of draft compensation with three unprotected first-round picks and a first-round swap. They would immediately fall under the luxury tax and save a projected penalty of $74.8 million (which could give them a tax hit in the range of $16 to $17 million). Including the prorated payroll reduction, that's a savings of about $110 million, minus $1.3 million from Milwaukee to Antetokounmpo in a trade bonus.

The Bucks are also sending Wright, Green and Livingston to Houston. Detroit hasn't picked up Moore's fourth-year rookie option yet, so he would likely be an expiring contract for the Bucks (who are also sending Beauchamp to Detroit).

Milwaukee completes the deal with an open roster spot, a hard cap on the starting frontcourt and about $3.7 million in luxury tax flexibility.

Losing one of the NBA's best players would be a bitter pill to swallow, but the Bucks appear to be stagnating based on their current commitments for this year and next. This wouldn't be a hard reset that would drop them to the bottom of the table. This would keep them reasonably competitive while adding important considerations for the future and a massive trade exception best saved for the 2025 offseason.