Thunder’s best Giannis Antetokounmpo trade offer to Bucks right now after WCF loss

Everybody and their mother thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder would win their second straight NBA championship this year. That would have been reason enough to run back the same roster, but now, after the team lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, whispers of change will come to the surface. The Thunder are expected to be well over the second apron going forward, and they have to figure out how to craft a roster that can compete with a young and still improving Spurs team that will be around for years to come. Chet Holmgren’s postseason struggles will only compound trade rumors, too.

In the past, general manager Sam Presti hasn’t made desperate moves. The team certainly has the assets to throw caution to the wind if they so desire to make a blockbuster trade, though. The Thunder have more depth, draft capital, and young prospects than any other team to leverage in a huge trade, and there is no bigger trade target out there than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The two-time MVP has been involved in trade rumors for quite some time now, but this seems like the offseason in which he will finally be moved. Reports have already suggested that the Bucks are interested in doing business with Oklahoma City because the Thunder would likely be able to offer them a bigger haul than any other team. Presti seems unlikely to change how he does business, so an Antetokounmpo trade to the Thunder seems unlikely as of now. Plus, the team won’t be able to aggregate salary if they are a second apron team this offseason, so the Thunder would have to shed salary before attempting a trade for the Greek Freak. If the team does go all in on Antetokounmpo, though, what is the best trade package that they can offer the Milwaukee Bucks?

Thunder’s best trade proposal for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo

San Antonio Spurs receive: Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, 2026 first-round pick number 12, 2012 first-round pick number 17, two future first-round picks

If the Thunder were able to shed enough salary to get below the second apron, and, therefore, have the ability to trade for Antetokounmpo, it would still take multiple players and picks to make a trade work. Most likely, one of Holmgren or Jalen Williams would have to be included. While Thunder fans right now might not mind seeing Holmgren depart after a disappointing performance going up against Victor Wembanyama, Williams seems like the more likely to be traded in a deal with the Bucks. For starters, the Thunder have more guard/wing depth than they have big men talent, so Holmgren makes more sense to keep from a positional perspective.

Plus, Holmgren makes sense as a frontcourt fit with Antetokounmpo. The Gonzaga product is one of the best shot blockers in the NBA and should be expected to bounce back next season. Opposing offenses would really struggle to score on him, a former Defensive Player of the Year like Antetokounmpo, and Oklahoma City’s surplus of perimeter defenders. The Thunder proved this year that they can win a lot of games even without Williams, who was hurt for much of the season, so he’d make more sense to package in a trade.

The Thunder’s best deal would also include Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, both of the team’s 2026 first-round picks, and two more future firsts. Both players are on reasonable contracts for what they can offer to a rotation. Williams brings hustle and defense, and Joe is one of the league’s best catch-and-shoot 3-point threats. Two first-round picks this year are intriguing, too, because the 2026 NBA Draft is one of the most loaded in recent memory.

All of that talent/potential talent is likely more than what the Thunder would be willing to pay, especially considering they’d have to get rid of even more players just to get to a point where they can make this trade happen. At the end of the day, though, the Thunder are in a position to out-bid anybody for Antetokounmpo’s services if they decide that he is the solution.

The Bucks star has experience winning an NBA Championship in his own right, and together, he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would combine for four MVP trophies. He is a physical specimen who is impossible to stop when he gets downhill, and his elite defense would fit right in on the Thunder’s roster. If the Thunder wanted to pull the trigger on an Antetokounmpo trade, this deal would certainly get it done.

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