Milwaukee Bucks of USA Nigerian-born star, Giannia Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of a deal that would have seen him join Jahil Okafor at New Orleans Pelicans.
Sports247.ng gathered that Antetokounmpo had been tipped all along as the man most likely to replace Anthony Davis in Okafor’s franchise, but the Greek star has been declared ‘too sensitive’ for The Pelicans.
A renowned voice in the game, Dan Feldman noted that Okafor’s NBA club will not be able to hold a leach on Antetokounmpo and his presence would be just too tough to handle with a dearth of shooters in the team.
Feldman stated further: “If the Pelicans trade Davis, it’ll be to the team that offers the most.
“Though the overall value would be good for the Pelicans, this trade doesn’t directly help the much.
“Just because Davis prefers a certain trade destination doesn’t mean New Orleans will accommodate him.
“Though Davis can influence the process by saying where he would and wouldn’t re-sign, any team can enter the mix.
“The incoming players probably wouldn’t lift 13th-place New Orleans into the playoffs this season.
“Middleton and Lopez would be unrestricted free agents after the season. Then what? If they left, the Pelicans would be left with a piddling return for Davis.
“Perhaps, Middleton and Lopez could be re-routed elsewhere in a multi-team trade, but that gets complicated quickly.
“Milwaukee might aggressively try to trade for Davis. A proactive move like trading for Davis makes sense.
“Though they’ve performed excellently so far this season, the Bucks could have a tricky time keeping this roster intact this summer.
“But a big part of Milwaukee’s strength is chemistry. Ruining that, even for Davis, is a huge downside.
“And players who fit the Bucks incredibly well don’t necessarily add as much for New Orleans.”
