If the San Antonio Spurs trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will likely be title favorites. Even with giving up the second overall pick, a core of Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox seems impossible to beat.
However, adding the Greek Freak comes at a cost. He is still very much in his prime, but questions will emerge about how much longer he can produce at that level. By giving up the second pick, as well as plenty of quality young players, in a trade for Giannis, the Spurs would severely limit their future flexibility.
"One of the concerns people in San Antonio told me about is, you go and deal for a guy like Giannis, all of a sudden you've created a championship window, but it is a window with a closing date," said Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "You've got De'Aaron Fox, who's in his late 20s, Giannis in his early 30s, and the last thing they want is to have a roster after those guys kind of age out where when Wembanyama is maybe looking around going, 'All right, where are the young guys I'm going to play with after that?'"
Even though Giannis is a better player than Wembanyama right now, the Spurs would still firmly be Wemby's team, and their timeline would be built around the younger star.
Even in the most lopsided deal in San Antonio's favor, the Spurs still have to give up the second pick, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Vassell, severely limiting their shooting prowess.
For Giannis, it would surely be worth it, but the Spurs are focused on the next 15 years, not the next three.
"It certainly is a problem for another day, but that's on the mind of the San Antonio Spurs," Mannix continued. "That's why they want to hold on to Stephon Castle, so he can be that second guy opposite Wembanyama for a long time, assuming they trade that No. 2 pick."
Cheaper trade candidates like Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Durant, and even Jaylen Brown have all been floated as possible targets, although the Spurs holding the line and building through the draft seems like the most realistic outcome.
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