Grade the Mock Trade: Giannis joins forces with Wembanyama on Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have one of the brightest futures in the NBA. A generational prospect, a 7'5" shot-blocking fiend with the ball skills of a wing, is the foundation on which they can build the next great team. Victor Wembanyama immediately changes the trajectory of the Spurs' franchise.

If he is as good as expected, the Spurs have a chance to compete for championships. He looks like a future Defensive Player of the Year with the offensive floor to be an All-NBA nominee and the offensive upside to win MVP. The Spurs don't need to rush anything, but at some point they'll have the opportunity to win titles if they find the right runningmate for Wembanyama.

One wild idea that has crept into the NBA consciousness in recent days is the possibility of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the Milwaukee Bucks to join another team and compete at a high level. For all that they did succeed in putting a championship team around him in 2021, the aging core in Milwaukee may not have enough left to win a second.

If the Bucks were to decide to move on from Antetokounmpo, which is unlikely this summer but increasingly likely as his free agency approaches, teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have been rumored as potential options. Neither can put together a package like the San Antonio Spurs, however, and one Western Conference executive said the Spurs would be a dark horse candidate to land the Greek Freak.

What would a trade offer for Antetokounmpo look like? Would the Spurs be putting together a future title-winning pairing, or accelerating their timeline too quickly? Let's look at a potential deal and see whether it makes sense for both sides.