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The Mavericks have immediately been linked to a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard after hiring Masai Ujiri

NBA teams are strongly interested in both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard as legends on the trade block this summer. Teams like the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves have been linked to both. Antetokounmpo is going to have much stronger value due to his age and current greatness as a top five player, but Leonard is impacting his value.

Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto reported the following news about how teams view Kawhi and Giannis:

“In fact, several executives have put Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo neck-and-neck for the best player to try to acquire on the trade market if Leonard indeed becomes available. Conversely, if Leonard signs an extension, would the Clippers flip the fifth pick as part of a larger package to acquire a star who’s ready to contribute more readily?”

Leonard being neck and neck with Antetokounmpo in terms of team’s trade interest is a bit surprising. Injury woes for many years now and his older age makes Kawhi a massive risk for any team trading assets to make him their top star. However, Giannis also running into injuries over the past few seasons creates greater concerns for his health than most anticipated entering this season.

Why Kawhi Hurts Giannis’ Trade Value

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly hoping for a major run of getting many assets to retool their franchise in a trade for Giannis. However, Kawhi being more affordable and teams getting to keep their best talents to improve title contention with the new player creates a dilemma for teams.

Trading for Antetokounmpo gets the better player and potentially more years out of him, but it also could ruin the rest of the depth or the franchise’s long-term future if the trade fails. The Los Angeles Clippers would be content with one or two draft picks compared to four or five expected for Giannis.

Milwaukee will also want a premiere top prospect that has shown flashes of greatness, like Kel’el Ware from the Miami Heat. To put it in perspective, the Heat could likely acquire Leonard without having to give up Ware. Every team will have to navigate this while planning offers for either player.

Bucks Might Wait On Kawhi Trade First

One realistic scenario could see the Bucks intentionally waiting to see what happens with Leonard first before they agree to any trades for Antetokounmpo. A player of Giannis’ caliber will hold value and have interested teams, regardless of how fast they make a move.

Kawhi getting traded will eliminate one of the teams interested in both players and put greater pressure on the teams that missed out. Miami getting Leonard for a cheaper price would cause teams like Golden State, Minnesota, or the Houston Rockets to up their offer for Antetokounmpo.

The offseason will be wild, and this is one interesting variable that sees the two biggest trade pieces linked. Teams will have to act fast, given how many franchises will have interest in improving their roster for next season. Expect Milwaukee to do everything possible to ensure they get the best potential Giannis trade package.