While the collective eyes of the NBA world are on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP reportedly has his eyes on the Philadelphia 76ers. While scouring the market for a new hoop far away from Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo became intrigued by “the prospect of working with Tyrese Maxey,” he says. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line.
Between Maxey’s continued rise, Joel Embiid’s return (and desire for a trade deadline upgrade), and the wide-open nature of the Eastern Conference, Philly’s time to strike could be now. The Sixers also have the resources to land Antetokounmpo, but it would cost them one of the most promising prospects in the Association.
Is Antetokounmpo’s current impact worth giving up the long-term potential of standout rookie VJ Edgecombe? That’s the biggest question swirling around the City of Brotherly Love, and perhaps one Milwaukee will want an answer before Antetokounmpo is sent somewhere. Because if the Sixers include Edgecombe in their offer, a handshake deal could happen soon.
Before we get into the details of this hypothetical deal, a few elephant-sized roommates need to be addressed. First, the Sixers reportedly haven’t contacted the Bucks about Antetokounmpo yet, according to The Stein Line team, so Philly may not want to be part of the league’s latest (and biggest) trade frenzy. Second, the idea of Philly involving Edgecombe in “every move” was “completely shot down,” per Kyle Neubeck from PHLY Sports, so maybe the Sixers wouldn’t consider this.
However, is that the right approach? While Edgecombe is 11 years younger than Antetokounmpo and has monster amounts of both sizzle and substance in his game, there’s also a mystery-box element to it all. Look, Edgecombe could be great in the long run, but will his peak ever approach Antetokounmpo’s current form?
That’s not meant to disparage Edgecombe in any way, but Antetokounmpo already has an all-time resume (two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year, a Finals MVP, nine All-NBA selections) and has yet to exit his career-best. Injuries have become a bigger hurdle for Antetokounmpo now that he’s in his 30s — an understandable concern for the Sixers given Embiid’s availability issues — but that’s about it in terms of age-related implications.
Edgecombe could develop into an all-league defenseman and all-star scorer and still struggle to reach Antetokounmpo’s peak. So for those who are quick to dismiss the idea of a deal, know that this is the kind of price we’re talking about.
An educated guess says the Sixers’ hangup accelerates the timeline and once again becomes uncomfortably dependent on keeping Embiid afloat. I understand that. It’s legit. But if the Sixers can keep him going at his current pace, they would immediately have basketball’s best Big Three — and almost certainly a more talented and productive trio than Maxey, Edgecombe and Player X could ever be.
And since the Sixers didn’t have to cough up as much draft capital as other Antetokounmpo prospects, they would still have the resources to add more to this roster. It takes everything breaking down just right, but there’s real Superteam potential here.
If it’s me, I’ll open the phone lines to Milwaukee and make a bid around George, Jared McCain, and as many first-round candidates as possible. But I’m also doing this knowing in the back of my mind that no deal will get done without Edgecombe, and that’s ultimately a painful concession that I would make minutes before Thursday’s trade deadline at 3:00 PM ET.
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