That’s right folks, synergize all your aggregation powers, what had been prophesized for every off season since the beginning of time finally occurred in the offseason that was… spell-check killer and trade request connoisseur Giannis Antetokounmpo was finally released from the Milwaukee Bucks. Let the record books show that there was much drama, much turmoil and much satisfaction throughout this entire process, and that was just from the Shams side of things.
For those who missed it, we’re recapping the major trades of the offseason and we’re starting off with quite the shake-up in the East. Here’s the full trade:
- Heat acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.
- Bucks acquire Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, the draft rights to Nate Ament (No. 13 pick), the Heat’s 2031 first-round pick, the Heat’s 2033 first-round pick, the Heat’s 2033 second-round pick, and the right to swap their 2030 first-round pick for the Heat’s 2030 first-round pick.
The Heat know what their getting and so should you. A top-5 player when healthy, an issue-laden player when not. But in terms of fantasy, you don’t really care about the former, after all, most of his breakdowns seem to happen closer to April than December.
Granted, last season saw Giannis go down with another injury and ultimately getting shut down the entire season. Doc Rivers penalty was sticking it out the entire year, but the fact remains that Antetokounmpo certainly sticks out as a potential first round buy-low candidate (if there is such a thing) and I see no reason to believe that any dip in his skill level or stats is coming this year. We all know our big-man history and Giannis’ history, but the ingredients are here for at least one more big All-NBA type of year, and while the team might just be him and Bam, that may not be enough for the Heat, but it’s certainly enough to work with for us…
I do like the Buck pieces in a fantasy light, but there is a ceiling to that affection. Tyler Herro is back home, but the team itself while interesting, still has a mediocre cap both on offense and defense. That team dynamic should give opportunities for Jakucionis to grow a little and for Ware to settle in as perhaps a legitimate option for minutes. I assume Jaquez will continue to do Jaquez-like things, with of course, limited value.
But I think Tyler Herro does much of the same in Wisconsin as he did in South Florida, which is certainly a plus. His role and fit remain basically the same, and to be honest, Herro might actually benefit with the fact that Bucks have a few more ball handlers and a bit more depth than what he would have had in Miami.
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell who is totally alive and well!
