Shakur Stevenson is on the verge of recognition as one of boxing’s best and he has moved higher up the rankings following the retirement of good friend, Terence Crawford.

However, despite their relationship, there is one fighter that Stevenson believes could have beaten ‘Bud’, if they met in their primes.

Crawford hung up the gloves with an undefeated record after 42 fights, having become boxing’s fifth five-division world champion with a legendary triumph over Canelo Alvarez back in September.

That win earned Crawford an enormous amount of credit, thrusting himself into comparisons with those considered to be some of the greatest fighters in the long history of the sport.

Although, speaking to The Agnew Podcast, Stevenson labelled a fantasy fight between Crawford and Floyd Mayweather Jr as a ’50/50’ fight.

“It is hard to say with this s**t because, with both of them guys, they different, so it is hard to even picture who would win. Now, what I do say, I think that Floyd, early on in his career, he struggled with southpaws; I feel like ‘Bud’ is probably going to be a southpaw and be the southpaw that he has ever been against. So that would probably play a part.

“But, I’ve seen ‘Bud’ have little issues with guys like ‘Mean Machine’ [Egidijus Kavaliauskas], who was orthodox and [Yuriorkis] Gamboa was winning some rounds, so it is a 50/50 thing. You just never know who would come in on point and win that fight, so it’s hard for me to even give an answer.”

Whilst Crawford’s unbeaten record seems set in stone, Mayweather’s fabled 50-fight win streak could be at risk, if his mooted September rematch with Manny Pacquiao is a professional contest.

Cape Verde is a small island nation located off the coast of Africa. Its population is just over 524,800 and each one of them had to have been jubilant following their soccer team’s FIFA World Cup result against Spain.

Spain is one of the favorites to win the World Cup this year, but only picked up one point in their match against Cape Verde. The two sides came to a 0-0 tie on Monday in one of the biggest shockers of the tournament so far.

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Cape Verde players celebrate after the World Cup Group H soccer match against Spain in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha kept Spain at bay in the first half despite an onslaught of shots. Spain had seven shots on goal, compared to Cape Verde’s one, but could never find the back of the net.

Mikel Oyarzabal took five of the seven shots.

Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal started the game off the bench, but even he couldn’t find the shot to get past Cape Verde.

The two squads will come away with one point each in the Group H matchup. It makes the road for Spain that much difficult as they await the result from the Saudi Arabia-Uruguay matchup later Monday.

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Cape Verde’s Dailon Livramento and Sidny Lopes Cabral celebrate after the World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

Cape Verde is making its first World Cup appearance. The nation was a part of Portugal when the World Cup first began. It didn’t immediately become a FIFA member either.

The country started to vie for a World Cup appearance in 2002. They didn’t qualify for the tournament until this year as the field expanded to 48 nations.

Cape Verde is ranked 67th among FIFA members.

Spain won the World Cup in 2010 when the tournament took place in South Africa. In the last two tournaments, the nation only got as far as the round of 16.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates a 0-0 draw during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press)

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Spain entered this year’s World Cup ranked No. 2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: England head coach Brendon McCullum has admitted he is worried about Ben Stokes after the England captain was dropped from the squad and placed under investigation following a nightclub incident that has cast doubt over his Test future.Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad for the second Test against New Zealand after allegedly breaching team protocols during a night out following England’s victory in the opening Test at Lord’s.According to reports, the night ended with a member of England’s security team being struck by a rugby player from English club Saracens at a nightclub where Stokes was present. The incident has intensified scrutiny over the culture and professionalism within England’s Test setup.Speaking publicly about the issue for the first time on Monday, McCullum said his initial reaction of anger and disappointment had now been replaced by concern for his captain.“It’s been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact that they’ve not lived up to the standards which we’ve set for ourselves,” McCullum said.“You can’t look past that, per se.”“But at the same time, we’ll deal with that in time and through a process. But for me, it’s very much about how we support these guys through the next stage, and in particular, Ben. And that’s very much where my mind is at – I worry for him.”McCullum, who has formed a close bond with Stokes since taking charge of England’s Test side in 2022, refused to publicly back his skipper to continue as captain, insisting the leadership group must first complete its investigation.“What will be will be, down the line. Those decisions, they’re not for now,” McCullum said.“The concern at the moment is making sure that Ben is fine, and we need to look after him, rally around him, and in time, get onto those sorts of decisions.”The controversy has once again raised questions about England’s off-field culture. Last week, England managing director Rob Key revealed that the England and Wales Cricket Board was considering an alcohol ban following concerns about player behaviour.McCullum, however, said he would rather educate players than completely remove their freedom to celebrate victories.“I’m in charge of the environment and I take responsibility for things which don’t work out — what you can’t do is you can’t make every single decision for people as well,” he said.“My job is to try and shape this environment, try and shape these young men who are dealing with the high pressure and high scrutiny of playing international cricket on the larger stage, and being away from home 12 months of a year, and the challenges have come with that.”Despite the controversy, McCullum stressed that celebrations should still have a place in professional sport, provided they do not cross the line.“I do believe there is a place to never want to kill the joy, so to speak. I think it’s vitally important that you celebrate your successes,” he said.

England hand debuts to Cox and Baker

With Stokes and Atkinson unavailable and Ollie Robinson ruled out through injury, England have been forced into multiple changes for the second Test at The Oval.Middle-order batter Jordan Cox and fast bowler Sonny Baker have been handed their Test debuts, while Jofra Archer and Matthew Fisher return to the side.Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been left out of the XI, while former captain Joe Root will lead England in Stokes’ absence as England look to seal the series against New Zealand.

Cape Verde enjoyed a dream start to their first-ever World Cup appearance after holding European champions Spain to a surprising 0-0 draw in Group H.

In a match that shocked fans around the world, Cape Verde showed strong defence and discipline to stop one of the favourites for the tournament from scoring.

Despite Spain dominating possession and creating chances, they could not break down a determined Cape Verde side, who fought for every ball from start to finish.

But for many, the real hero of the night was Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Vozinha, who delivered a brilliant performance to keep his team in the game.

The 40-year-old made several important saves, especially in the first half, as Spain pushed forward in search of a goal. His calm presence and sharp reflexes helped Cape Verde survive heavy pressure.

Cape Verde also had strong performances in defence, with players making key blocks and clearances to protect their goal throughout the match.

Spain, who arrived at the tournament as one of the favourites, will be disappointed not to take all three points after controlling much of the game.

For Cape Verde, however, the result is a historic moment. The country, with a population of just over 500,000 people, is one of the smallest nations ever to reach the World Cup finals.

The goalless draw marks a perfect start for Cape Verde, who have shown they can compete at the highest level on their World Cup debut.

It is a result that will be remembered for a long time, with Vozinha’s heroic display standing out as the key moment of the match.

Spain’s ghosts of recent World Cup horror shows reappeared in Atlanta as the European champions were held 0-0 by debutants Cape Verde in their opening game on Monday.

Lamine Yamal was left on the bench as the Barcelona superstar is eased back to fitness after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury and even his appearance as a second-half substitute failed to break down Cape Verde’s dogged defence.

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Since winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010, Spain have not won a knockout game and their inability to make dominance of possession count was reminiscent of their meek exits in 2018 and 2022.

Blessed with what coach Luis de la Fuente claimed is the best squad in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament favourites to go all the way and lift the World Cup on July 19.

But the importance of Yamal and Nico Williams to their chances of success was underlined by a flat performance.

Williams also had an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute.

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Ranked 67 in the world, Cape Verde were making their debut on the global stage and did a nation of just over 500,000 people proud.

In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.

Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.

It took until six minutes before half-time for Spain to seriously threaten.

Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.

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Torres tested Vozinho again moments later before Aymeric Laporte’s header from a corner was also clawed away by the Cape Verde number one just before half-time.

The break came at a good time for the Blue Sharks and they comfortably held out in the second period until Yamal’s entrance after the second hydration break.

Billed as one of the stars of the tournament, Yamal’s appearance instantly lifted the crowd and injected life into the pedestrian Spanish attack.

His first involvement set up a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.

Yamal also began the move that saw Oyarzabal’s effort deflected over with Spain’s best chance of the second half.

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Cape Verde nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon.

Spain’s road to victory in 2010 also began disappointingly with defeat to Switzerland, but they have much to work on ahead of facing Saudi Arabia in Atlanta once more on Sunday.

Cape Verde next take on Uruguay in Miami.

kca/nf

Royal Ascot’s 5-day festival begins on Tuesday with live coverage in Ireland on Virgin Media and Racing TV.

There there are a number of small changes to this year’s meeting, starting with the Windsor Castle Stakes now being a six furlong contest with sire restrictions.

The Norfolk Stakes and the Chesham Stakes have swapped positions, with the former now the first race on the Saturday in order to maximise television exposure for that race in the USA.

On Thursday, the Gold Cup and the Britannia Stakes will be run at slightly earlier times in order to avoid a clash with the FIFA World Cup, while the upper handicap limit for the Copper Horse has been reduced to 100 from 105, in order to support the Listed Grand Cup at York Racecourse.

DAY ONE TUESDAY 16TH JUNE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,765,000

2.30pm The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £800,000 Straight mile
3.05pm The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 2 £200,000 Six furlongs
3.40pm The King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) 3+ £700,000 Five furlongs
4.20pm The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) 3 colts £700,000 Round (old) mile
5.00pm The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £120,000 Two miles, four furlongs
5.35pm The Wolferton Stakes (Listed) 4+ £125,000 One mile, two furlongs
6.10pm The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £120,000 One mile, six furlongs

DAY TWO WEDNESDAY 17TH JUNE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,110,000

2.30pm The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) 2 fillies £175,000 Five furlongs
3.05pm The Queen’s Vase (Group 2) 3 £265,000 One mile, six furlongs
3.40pm The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) 4+ fillies & mares £250,000 Round (old) mile
4.20pm The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £1,000,000 One mile, two furlongs
5.00pm The Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) 3+ £175,000 Straight mile
5.35pm The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap) 4+ fillies & mares £120,000 Straight mile
6.10pm The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) 2 £125,000 Six furlongs

DAY THREE THURSDAY 18TH JUNE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £1,620,000

2.30pm The Chesham Stakes (Listed) 2 £125,000 Seven furlongs
3.05pm The King George V Stakes (Handicap) 3 £120,000 One mile, four furlongs
3.40pm The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) 3 fillies £250,000 One mile, four furlongs
4.15pm The Gold Cup (Group 1) 4+ £700,000 Two miles, four furlongs
4.50pm The Britannia Stakes (Handicap) 3 colts & geldings £130,000 Straight mile
5.35pm The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) 3 £175,000 One mile, two furlongs
6.10pm The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) 3+ £120,000 Seven furlongs

DAY FOUR FRIDAY 19TH JUNE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,135,000

2.30pm The Albany Stakes (Group 3) 2 fillies £125,000 Six furlongs
3.05pm The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) 3 colts & fillies £700,000 Six furlongs
3.40pm The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) 3+ £120,000 One mile, four furlongs
4.20pm The Coronation Stakes (Group 1) 3 fillies £700,000 Round (old) mile
5.00pm The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) 3 fillies £120,000 Straight mile
5.35pm The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) 3 colts & geldings £250,000 One mile, four furlongs
6.10pm The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) 3 £120,000 Five furlongs

DAY FIVE SATURDAY 20TH JUNE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,015,000

2.30pm The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) 2 £175,000 Five furlongs
3.05pm The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) 4+ £250,000 One mile, four furlongs
3.40pm The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £1,000,000 Six furlongs
4.20pm The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) 3 £175,000 Seven furlongs
5.00pm The Wokingham Stakes (Handicap) 3+ £175,000 Six furlongs
5.35pm The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) 3 £120,000 One mile, two furlongs
6.10pm The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) 4+ £120,000 Two miles, six furlongs

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I have good news for the Milwaukee Bucks fans who have grown to really dislike me over the past year or so: this will be the final “Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destinations” story I ever plan to write, or at least, while he’s still a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Since Damian Lillard tore his Achilles last spring, I have ranked the entire league as possible suitors twice, put out a smaller, 18-team ranking once, published three different sets of complete mock trades, and written countless other stories on individual rumors or the market conditions surrounding him. I am tapped out. This thing has dragged on long enough. I am willing to believe that if he doesn’t get traded this offseason, he is never going to get traded. If we’re still doing this dance in the regular season, I will leave the coverage up to one of my talented colleagues.

The 2026 NBA Draft is a bit more than a week away. The Bucks have said that they would like a resolution, one way or another, before the draft. At this stage, we can rule out a good chunk of the league. There’s no sense in wondering what sort of fit the Grizzlies might provide at this point. The reporting has centered around a small group of teams, but mystery teams have become a pretty frequent feature of star trades lately. We know the Bucks are capable of keeping moves like that quiet because nobody suspected them when they swooped in and landed Lillard three years ago.

So today’s rankings will cut out the fat. We’re ranking 12 teams. The top six have all been linked to Antetokounmpo through some degree of either reporting or informed speculation. The next six are plausible mystery suitors. 

What makes a plausible mystery suitor? Teams need to check two boxes: they have to have a plausible path to the conference finals with Antetokounmpo, and they have to be able to put a better offer on the table before the NBA Draft than Miami, who has set the baseline with Tyler Herro, Kel’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez and a handful of first-round picks. If a team doesn’t check both boxes, they’re out. The Lakers, for instance, can only put three first-round picks on the table and would need Austin Reaves, who is inaccessible as a sign-and-trade chip until free agency, to top Miami. To get ahead of this one, no, I do not consider either the Thunder or Spurs to be viable mystery suitors at this time. Neither seems eager to do anything this drastic.

And so, for the final time, let’s rank possible homes for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Top 50 NBA offseason trade candidates: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads a list filled with big names

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Sam Quinn

The plausible mystery teams

12. Indiana Pacers

I’ll confess, I might be doing a bit of wishcasting here. The basketball fit would be incredible. Antetokounmpo would thrive in Indiana’s up-tempo offense. Tyrese Haliburton is perfectly happy functioning off of the ball in the half-court, which an Antetokounmpo point guard needs to be given how high he wants his usage to be. There’s a ton of shooting in place. Rick Carlisle is a mad genius who would probably find creative new ways to use him. There’s fun lore here in the bitterly contentious rivalry the Pacers and Bucks built during Antetokounmpo’s last few healthy seasons in Milwaukee.

The Pacers can trade three first-round picks: 2027, 2031 and 2033, along with swaps in even years. Pascal Siakam could likely net a meaningful return if the Bucks dangled him to a third team. It’s by no means the best package we’ll cover in this space, but it’s at least as promising as Miami’s, and the Pacers with Antetokounmpo would be a far better team than the Heat would. If Antetokounmpo is serious about winning and remaining in the Eastern Conference, only Boston makes more sense. Alas, a move like this is out of Indiana’s organizational character, and the bad blood that has built over the past few years doesn’t help. It’s not likely, but hey, a guy can dream.

11. Los Angeles Clippers

The No. 5 overall pick is among the most valuable assets the Bucks could feasibly target in an Antetokounmpo trade. It’s an awkward asset for the Clippers to hold. Their one, long-term asset is Darius Garland, and almost all of the top prospects in that range of the draft are point guards. In all likelihood, they take one and figure the rest out later. It’s a top-five pick. That’s not a bad problem to have.

But they still have Kawhi Leonard, and Garland would be a pretty solid third banana. If the Clippers put that pick and some of their other future draft assets on the table, they could match money using some of their less important salaries (Bogdan Bogdanović, Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson) and put together one of the NBA‘s most impressive star trios. Would it be worthwhile? Not without an extension from Antetokounmpo, and his Eastern Conference preference makes one unlikely. Leonard and Garland are probably too risky from a health perspective to justify this anyway. Still, we’re talking about Los Angeles here, so the fact that they can make the trade warrants a mention in pretty much any superstar discussion.

10. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are our other “could do it, but should they?” mystery suitor. Their team isn’t really suited to Antetokounmpo. Either Alperen Sengun or Amen Thompson would presumably be the main piece going back to Milwaukee, but neither of them are particularly strong fits with Antetokounmpo, and whoever doesn’t get traded would remain as a key piece to play alongside him. Kevin Durant turns 38 before opening night. Is that really the co-star Antetokounmpo wants to hitch his wagon to? How will Fred VanVleet look after a torn ACL? Where is the supplementary shooting here?

The argument for Houston is essentially that they are a win-now team that lacks a true, “best player on a championship team” caliber of superstar. They should by all means continue to pursue that player, and they have the youth and draft capital to do so. Antetokounmpo probably shouldn’t be the one they land on, but he’s so talented that any team with the means to get him has to at least consider the idea. That they are a Western Conference team and therefore unlikely to earn an extension out of Antetokounmpo might make the decision for them.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Now we’re talking. The Hornets are the perfect fit on a number of levels. They need size, and Antetokounmpo is giant. He needs shooting, and they are one of the NBA’s best shooting teams. They need experience and Antetokounmpo is a champion. He needs youth to get him through the 82-game grind and Charlotte’s best players are all young. Charles Lee was an assistant in Milwaukee for years. The Hornets play in the Eastern Conference. This is our ideal mystery team.

The Hornets have the No. 14 and No. 18 picks in this month’s draft. They have 10 first-round picks in the seven drafts after 2026. They can do this primarily with picks. LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller need not be involved. The only two questions here: do the Hornets want to fast-forward and make a huge bet on an older, injury-prone player when they have the means to target safer bets? And does Antetokounmpo trust the youth here enough to sign an extension? If the answer to those questions are both “yes” then we have a deal.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers

If you were picking an ideal Antetokounmpo teammate, you’d land on someone like Donovan Mitchell. Antetokounmpo shouldn’t be his team’s primary late-game scorer. Khris Middleton was the shot-maker when the Bucks won it all in 2021. Yet Antetokounmpo wants to be the primary ball-handler most of the game. Few scorers cleanly check both boxes. Mitchell is one of them. The two of them might be the NBA’s best duo next season if they stay healthy.

The troubles are everywhere else. James Harden is a clunkier fit next to Antetokounmpo, even before you consider their feud. Jarrett Allen as a traditional center would be an iffy front-court partner. Could the Cavaliers swap him for Myles Turner in the deal? Who is playing perimeter defense here? Cleveland, to this point, has acted as though Evan Mobley is off of the table in trades. No Mobley, no Giannis. The Mitchell fit is tempting enough that Cleveland has to be in the conversation. but there are so many other questions that the Cavaliers falling out of the equation after some reported deadline discussions isn’t all that surprising.

7. Brooklyn Nets

Don’t bother thinking about fit. It’s not in the equation. The Nets, for Antetokounmpo’s purposes, are not yet a team. They are a blank slate. They made five first-round picks last year, have the No. 6, 33 and 43 picks this year, and then have 13 first-round picks between 2027 and 2033. They can create around $48 million in cap space easily and potentially more through trades. The only obvious Antetokounmpo fit currently on the roster is Michael Porter Jr.

The idea here would be that the Nets could get Antetokounmpo with picks and then work with him on shaping the roster into whatever he wants it to be. If there’s another star he wants them to target, they could afford to get him basically anyone on the market. At this stage in his career, Antetokounpo probably shouldn’t be starting from scratch, but hey, he was interested in New York’s other team. If the Knicks are off the table, the Nets at least satisfy his geographic preference.

The likeliest outcomes

6. Golden State Warriors

The reporting surrounding Golden State has slowed down significantly since the trade deadline, when they were among the most aggressive suitors. There are a lot of reasons why Antetokounmpo wouldn’t want to play for Golden State. The Warriors are old. They are injury-prone. They are thin. They are in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant got quite a bit of criticism for linking up with Stephen Curry, and that’s criticism Antetokounmpo may want to avoid.

If he doesn’t, there’s a fairly clean trade to be made here built around Golden State’s future draft capital. The rumors surrounding LeBron James could potentially make the Warriors more appealing, at least in the short term. A team built around Curry, Antetokounmpo, James, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porziņģis would be terrifying in a seven-game series if it could just survive long enough to get there. The long-term outlook is bleaker, and if that’s a dealbreaker, the Warriors are out. But the Warriors are aggressive, they have the ammunition to do it and they’re in a major market. A deal is not out of the realm of possibility.

5. Orlando Magic

The Magic have always been a notable sleeper here. Paolo Banchero could give the Bucks a young replacement star for Antetokounmpo, and the Magic had fit issues to deal with between him and Franz Wagner anyway. While Wagner’s inconsistent shooting wouldn’t be ideal next to Antetokounmpo, Desmond Bane would be a perfect fit. Wendell Carter Jr. can at least shoot a bit at center. Pair those four players with Jalen Suggs, and the Magic would have a monster defense. The Magic could use Anthony Black as a trade chip now to avoid having to negotiate an extension with him later in the offseason. Orlando is so capped out that consolidation makes a ton of financial sense.

And then they hired Sean Sweeney as their head coach. Sweeney was on Jason Kidd’s staff in Milwaukee for the early years of Antetokounmpo’s career, and the two of them were reportedly close. The Magic were already run by Jeff Weltman and John Hammond, both of whom worked for Milwaukee when Antetokounmpo was drafted. If Giannis is willing to put his trust in people that he knows and assume they’ll be able to figure the basketball fit out later, there’s a workable trade here. There has been plenty of speculation about a deal since Sweeney was hired, but to this point, no firm reporting that the Magic are in the mix.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

Tim Connelly has taken more big swings than almost any other general manager in the NBA. One way or another, the Wolves need one. Anthony Edwards fits with Antetokounmpo for many of the same reasons Donovan Mitchell would. There was reporting at the deadline suggesting that Antetokounmpo would be interested in Minnesota.

The Athletic recently reported that the Timberwolves are holding Jaden McDaniels and Joan Beringer out of trade talks. This isn’t Connelly’s first rodeo. There’s no deal without McDaniels. But this is still valuable posturing. The harder Minnesota resists on McDaniels, the likelier it will be that they could at least keep Naz Reid, the sort of shooting big man that is absolutely vital next to Antetokounmpo, out of the deal.

There are real supporting cast questions here. The Wolves don’t have a point guard. Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are odd fits. Donte DiVincenzo has a torn Achilles. There would have to be more changes here, and everyone involved would have to accept that this is as all-in as it gets. If they get Antetokounmpo and don’t make the Finals, they are in real danger of losing Edwards in a few years for many of the same reasons the failed Lillard trade ended the Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee. This is all or nothing. Are the Wolves prepared to roll those dice?

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3. Portland Trail Blazers

Aside from perhaps the Spurs or Thunder, Portland is probably Milwaukee’s preferred trade partner. The Blazers have everything the Bucks could want: young players at several positions and control over Milwaukee’s draft picks between 2028 and 2030. Jerami Grant is easy enough salary filler. Portland has two pretty notable former Antetokounmpo teammates in Lillard and Jrue Holiday, though they’re older. Deni Avdija is a more notable present co-star. Portland has reportedly been in the mix both at the deadline and this offseason.

If Antetokounmpo is willing to extend with the Blazers, it’s a wrap. The Blazers, at least among the teams known to be involved, have the best offer. But Portland was just a Play-In Tournament team. Lillard and Holiday are getting older. Portland is in the Western Conference and about as far away from both Milwaukee and Greece as NBA markets get. Tom Dundon is a new owner who hasn’t exactly made a strong first impression around the league. Getting Giannis to agree to stay in Portland is going to be an uphill climb. Maybe the Blazers are comfortable taking a chance on a rental, but in all likelihood, it will take some aggressive recruiting on Lillard and Holiday’s part to make this happen. 

2. Boston Celtics

Boston is probably one of the two teams that probably doesn’t have to worry about securing an extension. They’ve been the most consistently well-run and competitive Eastern Conference team for the past decade. Antetokounmpo has publicly praised Joe Mazzulla. Boston’s interest makes plenty of sense as well. The Celtics have lived by the 3 for years. Lately, that has meant dying by the 3. Brad Stevens has openly discussed the team’s need to diversify the offense by adding some rim-pressure. Nobody provides more of it than Giannis. He’d be the ideal Celtics addition.

The questions here are whether or not Boston would trade Jaylen Brown (there’s no deal without him), and what sort of package they could get for him in a three-way deal. Really, the bulk of the asset value going to Milwaukee would come from that third team, and Atlanta, Portland, Houston and New Orleans have all been linked to Brown. Any one of those teams has the capacity to send the Bucks more than Miami can, so assuming a satisfactory multi-team deal could be negotiated, Boston has a path to sealing this deal. They just aren’t as desperate as Miami is. They don’t have to trade Brown in order to contend, so there is a real chance they deem the price of a deal too great and eventually elect not to make one.

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1. Miami Heat

The Celtics might want Giannis. The Heat need him. They’ve spent four years in the Play-In Tournament. Without him, that’s where they’ll stay next season. Miami has spent years trying and failing to trade for a superstar to bring them back into contention. Antetokounmpo is reportedly interested in joining the Heat. This is their moment.

Their offer is underwhelming. Let’s not mince words here. When you get a handful of draft picks you tend to prefer that they don’t come from a historically competent organization. Kel’El Ware is a nice young prospect but far from a sure thing. Tyler Herro can’t defend in the playoffs. Jaime Jaquez is a fine sixth man. Individually, you’d be happy to have any of those things. They’re not suitable Giannis replacements. They’re just what Miami is willing and able to give up. 

I say “willing” because, notice, there are no serious “well, could Boston get Giannis without giving up Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum?” conversations. It’s understood that they’d have to give up something real. But Miami isn’t willing to give up Bam Adebayo and has nothing else especially valuable to offer. Even if they would give up Adebayo, they’d have nothing left to entice Antetokounmpo with. They’re just hoping nobody beats their spare parts.

And you know what? There’s a world in which that happens. Probably the likeliest one, all things considered. If Antetokounmpo is picky about who he’s willing to extend with, the Heat just have to hope that Boston can’t or doesn’t construct the right multi-team deal and that nobody is willing to pay top dollar for a rental. That’s less than a 50-50 proposition, but they seem to have the edge over any individual team in the field. For now, all they can do is wait and see if anyone outbids them.