The offseason in the NBA is beginning to percolate, even with the NBA Finals in full swing and only getting more competitive.
There are a mere two weeks until the NBA Draft. And that seems to be a self-imposed deadline for the Milwaukee Bucks to make the big move that will tip every domino for this offseason.
For all the talk of his age and recent injury history, Antetokounmpo remains one of the best players in the league. No team would be smart if they did not kick the tires on acquiring him.
At this point, it feels like the Miami Heat are the only real team in the running to acquire Antetokounmpo. Their best trade offer likely centers on Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Pelle Larsson and their draft picks, including their first-round pick.
But almost universally, that is not considered the best potential trade package. As Tim Bontemps put it on The Hoop Collective, the market seems to be governed by two things: Antetokounmpo putting his thumb on the scale to get to Miami, and other teams just not wanting to outbid the Heat.
And that is once again where the Orlando Magic are brought back into the conversation.
"We've talked about this with Cleveland," Bontemps said on the episode of The Hoop Collective. "Evan Mobley is more valuable than any of the stuff Miami is giving up. Paolo Banchero is more valuable than any of the stuff Miami is giving up. Perhaps Orlando looks at it and says, 'We'd rather have Paolo Banchero. We don't want to trade for Giannis.' If Orlando gets in the mix and says we want to make a trade for Giannis, they are going to outbid Miami."
The Magic have been a fantasy team for many pundits and analysts trying to break down the Antetokounmpo market. Many believe that Banchero would be a strong anchor salary to move for Antetokounmpo and a strong anchor player for the Bucks to begin their rebuild.
All this talk gets at a hidden truth: The Magic still hold a lot of power in the trade market, if that time comes when they want to part with any of their stars. They still have a star that other teams would pursue.
What they are really getting at is Banchero is the kind of player who either is the star of your team and, at least for now, the kind of player who can one day net you that star.
Right now, it should be clear the Magic want to build with Banchero and give him another chance to prove his worth.
Paolo Banchero is still viewed as a star
Last season was undoubtedly a difficult season for Paolo Banchero.
Things did not click for him early, and an early-season groin injury put him behind the 8-ball. Banchero never recovered, even though he still averaged 22.2 points per game with a career-best 8.4 rebounds per game and career-best 45.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Banchero made important gains. But the team still struggled on the floor. His critics gained plenty more ammunition as he struggled to shoot, and the team still had a negative net rating with him on the floor.
There are a fair number of questions surrounding Banchero entering next season. it is no wonder there are at least some people wondering if he could be available.
But Paolo Banchero is still clearly viewed as a star. That he would be the biggest prize in a trade for a player of Giannis Antetokounmpo's caliber speaks to his ability.
He is better than any individual player the Miami Heat might offer.
Banchero showed that in the Playoffs. He averaged 26.3 points per game, marking the third straight postseason he increased his scoring average. He had 45 points in the Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Magic did not lose Game 7 because of him either. He had 38 points in the finale.
Those two performances decreased some anxiety about Banchero and confirmed the Magic's belief in him. That he could still be someone they build around.
The rest of the league seems to believe that.
Giannis noise continues
It still seems like the Orlando Magic want to give Paolo Banchero and this starting lineup another shot to make good on its potential.
But everyone is waiting on the Giannis Antetokounmpo noise. Everyone is seemingly stuck in its orbit.
There has been reporting that the Magic at least inquired about Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline.
The connections between Antetokounmpo's camp and the Magic are strong -- from advisor John Hammond, who was the general manager who drafted Antetokounmpo, to the hire of coach Sean Sweeney, who was the assistant who worked closest with Antetokounmpo in his rise to stardom in Milwaukee.
That does not necessarily mean the Magic will take the bait. Certainly one of the reasons they hired Sweeney was to bring the same kind of growth in their young players that he helped foster in Antetokounmpo.
That most of the national media would still consider a potential Magic trade offer -- likely Paolo Banchero along with one of Anthony Black or Jalen Suggs, with the potential to add filler like Goga Bitadze -- better than what the Heat are offering says a lot about the Magic's position. Even if Orlando has virtually no draft capital to offer.
It feels like any lingering attention Orlando has is Milwaukee trying to drive the price up and extract an extra ounce from Miami. Or it could be the Magic trying to get in as a third or fourth team in the deal, targeting someone else.
The Antetokounmpo trade seems destined to happen this offseason sooner than later. The Magic do not seem interested. They have their man.
The league seems to think so too.
Add us as a preferred source on Google