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00:00Henry Abbott is one of the most respected voices in NBA journalism and his latest reporting for True Hoop.
00:05Has reignited a major question around the league.
00:07Question is this.
00:08Has Giannis Antetokounmpo played...
00:10His last game in Milwaukee.
00:12Now with the trade deadline approaching, rumors around Giannis...
00:15Rich Paul potentially becoming his agent and potential destinations including the New York Nets.
00:20They're growing louder by the day.
00:21So what's real?
00:23What's speculation?
00:25What should fans actually be paying attention to?
00:27Well, I'm joined now by the True Hoop founder...
00:30And NBA insider himself, Henry Abbott is here to help us separate fact from the noise.
00:35Henry, what's going on, my friend?
00:37Let's dig in, Dexter.
00:38It's kind of fun, right?
00:39We're getting to...
00:40The trade deadline, all these things that have been off in the distance are suddenly right here.
00:44Yeah.
00:45They are right here.
00:46All right.
00:46We got to get into your article because it was a good one.
00:48I had to text you about it.
00:50I said, we got to talk about this because your article immediately at the top, not at the top of it, but...
00:55I think the thing that jumps out to a lot of people is the possibility of Rich Paul entering the picture...
01:00Here with Giannis, from what you know, what you can confirm, how significant would...
01:05That be a shift in his representation in terms of leverage and trade...
01:10How important would that be?
01:12Well, Giannis is a super loyal...
01:15Thoughtful, calm guy, right?
01:17He doesn't do anything impulsively.
01:20He's been with the same team and the same agent for, I think it's 13 years.
01:25And they have all sorts of business together outside of the NBA as well, right?
01:29It's almost like...
01:30Family with those two, with his current agent.
01:33So a switch would be...
01:35A, a big kind of personal thing for Giannis, but B, it would just obliterate the...
01:40The idea that he was trying to stay in Milwaukee forever, right?
01:42Because as it's understood, right?
01:43As based on...
01:45Everything everyone said to me, the only rationale for the shift would be to get him out of Milwaukee faster.
01:50Yeah, that's the only thing that seems to make sense, right?
01:53And we also know that...
01:55Rich Paul, he's had a history of when guys want to get somewhere that he's...
02:00He's able to get them there.
02:02So do you think it's likely that...
02:05This happens with all the smoke and everything swirling around Giannis here?
02:08Do you think it's likely that he...
02:10Switches his agent and maybe joins Clutch?
02:12So I talked to four people for that...
02:15That story and on...
02:16There were two topics, really, right?
02:17One topic is...
02:19Is Rich Paul...
02:20Really going to represent Giannis, and on that one, they were divided, right?
02:23Everyone agrees that Rich Paul has been talking...
02:25Talking to Giannis' brother, Thanasis.
02:28Is that meaningful or not?
02:30No one agrees, right?
02:31Apparently, if you have a star the size of Giannis...
02:35With the earning potential of Giannis...
02:36Then they just hear from other agents and coaching every day.
02:40Right?
02:40So in a way, this means nothing.
02:42But on the other hand, it's...
02:44You know, in...
02:45In recent circles, this seems a little bigger than that to some of the people I talked to.
02:48So I think that there...
02:50There's a real chance.
02:51The thing that I think got my attention was that all four...
02:55Well, all four didn't agree on how likely it is that Rich Paul comes to represent Giannis.
02:59All four...
03:00Agreed that the mission is to get Giannis out of Milwaukee.
03:03And that that's coming, whether...
03:05Whether it's right now, you know, at the trade deadline or this summer.
03:08But it will not be that they're together.
03:10For the long haul anymore, is what everybody agrees on.
03:12All right.
03:12So the agreement is...
03:13The mission is to get him...
03:15Out of Milwaukee, if that change was to come.
03:18I guess that brings me to my next question because...
03:20In your reporting, what concrete signals, if any, suggest that Giannis himself...
03:25Is questioning his long-term future in Milwaukee as opposed to this being driven by...
03:30League-wide speculation because, Henry, you know this.
03:31We've heard speculation around Giannis for...
03:35Now going over well past the year, going back to last season through this summer, the recent summer...
03:40There's all this speculation.
03:41So, you know, how much of this is concrete or how much of this is...
03:45Is just what we've been hearing.
03:46Hey, Giannis might move.
03:47He's tired of being in Milwaukee.
03:49What kind of...
03:50What kind of concrete stuff do you know, maybe, about this?
03:52Well, he's in a tricky situation because it's like Damien...
03:55Millard leaving Portland where the divorce was certain long before anyone...
04:00Was willing to talk about it publicly, right?
04:02And so, no one's willing to go first.
04:04No one's willing to...
04:04James Harden...
04:05Harden it up and say, I'm tired of this crap, right?
04:07So, and you know, Milwaukee's gone...
04:10Gone to a lot of trouble.
04:10They're two and a half years into kind of Hail Marys, right?
04:13They tried Miles Turner...
04:15And then the year before that, Damien Millard to sort of...
04:17And so, I think there was, you know, genuine curiosity.
04:20And Giannis' part, could that work?
04:22Were they right?
04:23And now the Bucs are not that far...
04:25Out of last place, right?
04:26Even when Giannis is in the game, the Bucs haven't been overwhelmingly...
04:30I think they're about 500 with Giannis playing.
04:32And over his last five games, I think they're minus 55.
04:35While he's on the court, which is...
04:37You can see why it would give you kind of a hopeless feeling if you were young.
04:40So, you're right that the right question is, what are Giannis' emotions today?
04:45And he's a human.
04:47Those can change.
04:48But the read from the people who know him best, who've been...
04:50And in the room and who know him best are like, time to go.
04:54We will see.
04:55Well, now we talk about him time to go, or potentially time for him to go.
04:58I should say, when you talk to...
05:00Executives and people around the league in front offices, how do they realistically view...
05:05The Knicks asset package to land Giannis, because a lot of talk here in New York, fans would love...
05:10To see Giannis playing here at Madison Square Garden, but how do executives view the Knicks...
05:15Potential asset package to land Giannis in comparison to other potential suitors?
05:20So, I think I have good news for Knicks fans in that Giannis might really be moving...
05:25But the bad news comes now where...
05:28I mean, does anybody think the Knicks...
05:30The Knicks trade package would be the Bucks' first choice?
05:32Right?
05:32Because...
05:33Okay, one thing I didn't include...
05:35Within the report that I think I'm comfortable saying, is that one person told me...
05:40That the...
05:41Giannis' preferred list is three teams...
05:44The Heat...
05:45The Wolves...
05:46And the Knicks...
05:47Now, another person told me that is not his list...
05:50But would not tell me what his list is...
05:51So, take it all with a grain of salt...
05:52I don't know what that is...
05:53But I do think that there's...
05:54You know, there was a lot of Heat...
05:55Last summer...
05:56The idea is that...
05:57You know, Giannis would like to play for the Knicks...
05:58But I can't figure out how they could possibly...
06:00Have...
06:01The deal that the Bucks would like best...
06:02Right?
06:03The Bucks are going to want young players and picks...
06:04And...
06:05The Knicks...
06:06Just contract-wise...
06:07Have very little flexibility...
06:08I think it would have to be...
06:09Call Anthony...
06:10And like a...
06:11Kind of crappy first-round pick...
06:12As the core of the offer...
06:13And it just doesn't make any...
06:15Makes sense...
06:16I don't see how that could be...
06:17You know...
06:18At the very best...
06:19To be some convoluted three-team...
06:20Same deal...
06:21Maybe there's a way to do it with Mikkel Bridges...
06:23Or...
06:24But anyway...
06:25I just...
06:25That other teams can offer a lot more...
06:26To be honest...
06:27I think...
06:28You know...
06:29We're working on a story about this...
06:30At True Hoop...
06:30My partner David Thorpe...
06:31Has been working the trade machine really hard...
06:32And...
06:33He's going to make a case that...
06:34Giannis has...
06:35Has a better long-term future...
06:37In Milwaukee...
06:38Than a lot of the places that he wants to...
06:40To go...
06:41Because they'd have to strip everything so bare...
06:42Just to get him...
06:43So...
06:44It's funny...
06:45Because that's the...
06:45Thought about that Henry...
06:46And I feel like...
06:47That's actually really logical...
06:49What coach...
06:50Thorpe is saying there...
06:51In that fact that his long-term future...
06:53Could be better than Milwaukee...
06:54Now I know that's...
06:55If not...
06:56Music to the ears...
06:57Of Knicks fans...
06:58I do want to ask you...
06:59One more follow up on that...
07:00Because I agree with you...
07:01As you when you...
07:02And you've heard this from talking to executives too...
07:03But when you look...
07:04At what...
07:05The Knicks could offer Milwaukee...
07:06If they were going to do a one-to-one trade...
07:08Team-to-team...
07:09Doesn't...
07:10Feely seem likely...
07:11Do you think it's more likely...
07:12The Knicks could get this done...
07:13If they get other teams...
07:15Involved in this?
07:17Yeah I mean I've seen these reports...
07:18But they're so...
07:19That's so...
07:20Crazy...
07:21Right?
07:22Like...
07:23The Bucks want their picks back...
07:24Right?
07:25From Portland...
07:25Which is like 28...
07:2629...
07:26And 30...
07:27They have like picks or pick swaps...
07:29So you've got to give something...
07:30Super valuable to Portland...
07:31Without adding a bunch of salary to Portland...
07:34And like...
07:35I just...
07:36I don't...
07:36I don't see it...
07:37I don't see how the Knicks can do that...
07:38Like what do they...
07:39He'd have...
07:40You'd have to have picks...
07:41I think that you'd have to...
07:42Sweeten this deal...
07:43And you know that...
07:45The Bucks just want to get younger...
07:46Right?
07:46The best thing they have going...
07:47Is like Ryan Rollins...
07:48Okay so if you're running the Bucks...
07:49Like who...
07:50Who we pair Ryan Rollins with...
07:51Moving forward...
07:52On his...
07:52I think he's maybe 23...
07:5424...
07:55So who's in that age range...
07:57I don't...
07:57You know...
07:57And can match salary with...
07:59Giannis who makes...
08:0050 plus million dollars...
08:01Like...
08:02It's just a riddle...
08:02The Knicks don't have the pieces to solve...
08:04Yeah it's...
08:05It's a vague riddle...
08:05They need a lot of help...
08:07And the other thing in this...
08:07You need Giannis to say...
08:09That he won...
08:10To come to New York...
08:11Right?
08:11You would need that to happen too...
08:12So I guess that brings me to this Henry...
08:14At...
08:15This stage...
08:15Is the idea of a Giannis trade...
08:17More about...
08:18Pressure testing Milwaukee's direction?
08:20Or is there real evidence...
08:22That real deadline talks...
08:23Could actually materialize here?
08:25Within the next week?
08:26I think there are...
08:27Real deadline talks...
08:28I think it's happening...
08:29I think it's...
08:30You know...
08:30These things happen...
08:31You know...
08:32When reporters say...
08:33Like...
08:33Oh...
08:33They...
08:33You know...
08:34Made a phone call...
08:34Like...
08:34This...
08:35This is...
08:35Every one of those phone calls...
08:36Is after a million...
08:37Back channel phone calls...
08:39Right?
08:39They...
08:39Everyone...
08:40Everyone's talking all the time...
08:41Right?
08:42Giannis has an agent...
08:43Who gets a lot of phone calls...
08:44Right?
08:44And they...
08:45Think about this...
08:45And think about that...
08:46And some of them rise to the level of...
08:48Further discussions...
08:49Some of them don't...
08:50But yeah...
08:50The talks are on...
08:51For sure...
08:51Like...
08:51There's a real chance...
08:52That Giannis gets traded right now...
08:54And if he doesn't get...
08:55Traded now...
08:55And you know...
08:56The reason he wouldn't get traded now...
08:58Is that he's injured...
08:59Right?
08:59He's out with the...
09:00He's calf strain...
09:00And it's...
09:01Happened recurringly for him...
09:02And he's missed a lot of time with it...
09:03So I could see that...
09:04The Bucks would just...
09:05That his value would be higher...
09:06When he's been on the court healthy...
09:08But yeah...
09:10I think it's...
09:10I don't think there's any...
09:11I don't think it's smoke here...
09:12I think this is real...
09:13Alright...
09:14So I think this is real...
09:15So that brings me to the last thing here...
09:16Let's try to separate...
09:18If you had to separate fact from...
09:20The noise right now...
09:21What do you believe fans here in New York...
09:24That are hoping for Giannis?
09:25To come here...
09:26Should actually pay attention to...
09:28Over the next week...
09:29As the trade...
09:30Headline approaches...
09:31I haven't...
09:32I mean...
09:32I know this is not how the fan brain works...
09:34And I...
09:35I respect it...
09:35But like...
09:36For me...
09:36Honestly...
09:37I've been following all the coverage...
09:38And I live pretty close to New York...
09:39So...
09:40Everyone I know is always like...
09:41Asked me about the Knicks...
09:43To me...
09:43The most important thing in the Knicks...
09:45World right now...
09:45Is remember...
09:46That caught Anthony Towns...
09:47From last year's playoffs...
09:49I thought he was...
09:50It was incredible...
09:50Right?
09:51And...
09:52I don't know what's happening right now...
09:53And I don't know why they had this little...
09:54Terrible...
09:55But...
09:56If you keep him...
09:57You have that guy...
09:58In this year's playoffs...
09:59And if he can...
10:00Play like that again...
10:00You're going to be very happy...
10:02Some Knicks fans are going to say to you...
10:03Henry...
10:04But he's...
10:05He's not Giannis...
10:06And they want Giannis...
10:07And they want to see him...
10:08None of us are Giannis...
10:09You know?
10:09That's...
10:10That's...
10:10Fair...
10:10I think...
10:11I think that is more...
10:12I think that is more than a fair point...
10:13But...
10:14Listen...
10:14It's all...
10:15All interesting in the moving parts around Giannis...
10:17Or...
10:17Potential...
10:18I should say potential moving parts...
10:19And what can...
10:20It happened with him...
10:20From representation...
10:21To him actually asking out...
10:23Although I love your comparison to...
10:25Damian Lillard here...
10:26It seems like...
10:27Nobody wants to be the bad guy here...
10:28In this divorce...
10:30Milwaukee...
10:30But...
10:31Knicks fans still...
10:31It should have happened two years ago...
10:32It should have happened two years ago...
10:33Right?
10:34It's been kind of over for a while...
10:35The last three years have not been meaningful...
10:37There hasn't been real optimism...
10:38No real contention...
10:40And his value would have been way higher...
10:42Right?
10:42The Bucks rebuild would be well underway...
10:44They would have gotten four...
10:45First round picks or whatever...
10:45And now they'll get two...
10:47So it's just...
10:48You know...
10:48These things take too long...
10:50Play out for me...
10:50One more thing for me...
10:52Henry...
10:52That I'm going to throw in here...
10:53Let's say the Knicks...
10:55Somehow...
10:56In a multi-team deal...
10:57Get Giannis...
10:59Two things for me...
11:00On a scale of one to ten...
11:02How shocked would you be about that?
11:04And...
11:05And then secondly...
11:06Do you think them landing Giannis...
11:08And somehow not gutting their...
11:10Roster...
11:10Do you think that makes them...
11:12True championship contenders...
11:14This year?
11:15If they had like...
11:16So they have like...
11:17Jalen Brunson...
11:18And Mikel Bridges...
11:19And Giannis...
11:20Still...
11:21Right?
11:21Something like that?
11:22I mean...
11:22I'd be fun as hell...
11:23I don't know...
11:24I mean...
11:25There's some...
11:25The Oklahoma City Thunder...
11:27Are out there...
11:27And so I think...
11:28Everybody's vying for...
11:30Like a little tiny wedge...
11:31Of probability...
11:31Right?
11:32I think the Thunder...
11:32Are going to win the championship...
11:33Unless something...
11:35Outlandish happens...
11:35Like a Shea injury...
11:37So...
11:37You know...
11:38You're fighting for second place...
11:39But I think...
11:40That would be a really fun fight...
11:41Right?
11:42It would be...
11:42It would be beautiful to watch...
11:43Right?
11:43Jalen Brunson...
11:45Giannis together...
11:45It would be just...
11:46Everyone flying all over...
11:47It would be really fun...
11:48Yeah...
11:48Nix fans would like...
11:49And maybe...
11:50Maybe a championship...
11:51Maybe...
11:51You know...
11:51I'm not going to say never...
11:52I'm not going to say no...
11:53You can't say...
11:54You can't say never...
11:55Now in the NBA...
11:55You never know what's going to happen...
11:56That's the only thing that we know...
11:58But we will see...
11:58That is Henry Abbott...
11:59Check out...
12:00His article...
12:01On Troop...
12:01A really good one...
12:02About Giannis...
12:03And his future...
12:04And whether...
12:05If not...
12:05The star has played...
12:06His last game in Milwaukee...
12:08Could be interesting...
12:09Nix fans...
12:10Hoping that he's coming to New York...
12:11Within the next week...
12:12But we will see...
12:13Once again...
12:14Check out Henry Abbott...
12:15It's work...
12:15Henry...
12:15Always a pleasure...
12:16To talk some hoops with you...
12:17Thanks for joining me man...
12:18Appreciate it...
12:19Thank you...
12:20Thank you Dexter...
12:25Thank you...
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