Once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be one of the most talked-about players in the NBA offseason. Nevertheless, while most people speculate about his departure, the Milwaukee Bucks will likely try to find ways to keep him home.
Team owner Jimmy Haslam, the front office, and even Giannis have always tried to work things out rather than break up their partnership, and even though this time might be it, we've heard that story way too many times before.
Considering that, Haslam, who also owns the Cleveland Browns, could turn to Northeast Ohio for some help. The Cavaliers have been a mess in the playoffs, and Donovan Mitchell might be up for grabs.
The Milwaukee Bucks should make a run at Donovan Mitchell
Once again, the Cavaliers fell short when it mattered the most. It has become painfully evident that their core isn't built for championship contention, and while they have a bunch of Robins, they still lack one Batman.
Last year, the Bucks tried to trade for Giannis. Now, they might have come to realize that they'd be better off starting from scratch instead of tripling-down on this core and giving Mitchell a market-setting contract extension.
The Bucks already have a Batman. Mitchell would take a step back to let the offense run through Giannis, and being in a secondary role for the first time in his career might actually suit him. He'd give the Bucks another three-level scorer and a much-needed floor spacer next to Giannis.
This team already tried to do this when they acquired Damian Lillard, so, admittedly, there might be some doubts. That said, this might be the only way to convince Giannis to stay and let him know that they're still 100 percent serious about contending for an NBA championship.
The Bucks could probably get Mitchell in exchange for the No. 10 pick, Bobby Portis, Myles Turner, and Ryan Rollins. That's a steep price to pay, but he's coming off making the All-NBA second team, and the Bucks should probably look to offload Turner and Portis anyway.
There's also a scenario where they can work out a sign-and-trade or figure out how to get Max Strus, but that's pretty much the initial groundwork to make numbers work. The Bucks have been way too aggressive trying to find Giannis an ideal partner, so this looks like something they would do.
Mitchell is a great guy and a very good scorer, but he may not be suited to be a 1A. That's not necessarily bad or a shot at him; there can only be a handful of guys who fit that bill. Fortunately for the Bucks, they already have one of those in the building, and he happens to be a perfect complement to Mitchell's skill set.
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