Is it actually even possible to trade for Giannis?

[Real Men Wear Green]

I agree with you completely from Milwaukee's POV but that's not the whole story is it?

Giannis says yes to going to Indiana if they lose Haliburton in the process? You really think?

Spoiler: they're 2-15 right now. The answer is a resounding hell no.

It's just a hypothetical. There are other teams that could put up enough salary and tie it to young talent(s) or lottery pick. The team that trades for him is rolling the dice on selling Giannis in joining them. A team like Sacramento with no reason to live may as well go for it, put Lavine with some more salary and some future picks, see where Sabonis and Giannis can get you.

[beasted]

Not as a "thank you" but because these packages are better than getting nothing when he walks as a free agent. You can deal a solid vet player for some asset that suits you better after the fact. Recent NBA history is full of deals where a team accepts a trade under the value of a star because that guy is prepared to walk. Only time the team losing the star has benefitted is when they were trading Paul George.

Well, let's see, the bloated contracts of guys with no real value -- specificlaly, if traded, these guys will not net you any first round picks -- or use the cap space to accept salary dump contracts for the sake of receiving a first round pick (aka the Thunder approach).

Me thinks I would rather lose Giannis for nothing than take bad contracts and no picks since Houston doesn't really have FRPs to trade.

But, that's just me. Besides, none of what scenarios you're talking about has EVER happened with an MVP caliber player in modern times. Comparing say (as a recent example) what Philly takes back when trading Butler to Miami is quite different from what Milwaukee needs to think about taking when trading Giannis.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Off the top of my head Durant has been moved twice for whatever a team could cobble together. James Harden got traded for a guy that refuses to play basketball.

[beasted]

Off the top of my head Durant has been moved twice for whatever a team could cobble together. James Harden got traded for a guy that refuses to play basketball.

After Harden took the Butler approach both times. And both times Durant got traded, the team received good value.

Bridges and Johnson were both players that ended up yielding first rounders, on top of the picks they already got in the deal.

Taking a FVV, Adams, DFS package are old players with no re-flippable value.

I think if Giannis gets moved, its a package like the Hawks idea I suggested. Definitely not a "take filler contracts and firsts" type deal.