Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country.
Giannis trade discourse has dominated the summer, and thankfully, it’s over now. I think most Bucks fans would agree that, in the end, Milwaukee did alright in the deal, getting back young players, picks, and other helpful pieces. With that said, the return was still not what you imagine when you trade a two-time MVP still in their prime. It just wasn’t. And the reason it wasn’t is because of one factor: a lack of leverage.
You see, Bucks GM Jon Horst waited until basically the last moment to trade Giannis, who had just one guaranteed year of team control remaining on his deal. The wider basketball media—including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Yahoo Sports—seems to agree that Horst waiting until now was a mistake (and as you’ll see tomorrow, so do I). If Horst had initiated trade talks a year ago—when Dame tore his Achilles and the Bucks’ hopes of contending went up in smoke—he would’ve had all the leverage in negotiations.
Then again, there’s another (completely reasonable) angle that you never, ever trade a top-three player without them demanding it, and Giannis did not do that last offseason. On top of this, you also need to consider what Giannis means to the city of Milwaukee, and how a decision to trade him has more than just on-court reverberations. Obviously, Giannis will always be a cultural icon in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, which is why many Bucks fans have a more nuanced view on the topic than outsiders do. For what it’s worth, I totally understand both sides (even though I happen to agree much more with the former).
Thus, for this week’s Reacts question, we wanted your take:
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