NBA Trade Rumors: Dallas Mavericks to 'prioritize' signing Giannis Antetokounmpo this off-season

Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the final year of his contract next season. With Milwaukee Bucks losing to Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, NBA trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo have already started surfacing in the media. Giannis also unfollowed his teammates on social media, which has led to even more speculation about whether he will sign a long-term deal with Milwaukee.

NBA Trade Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo might be headed to the Dallas Mavericks

Los Angeles Clippers v Dallas Mavericks - Game Six

According to the latest NBA rumors, there is a good possibility that Giannis Antetokounmpo will join the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. The reason behind this NBA trade rumor is the fact that Giannis is close to Donnie Nelson, who is Dallas Mavericks' General Manager. Reports suggest that Nelson was adamant about choosing Giannis in the 2013 NBA draft, but owner Mark Cuban advised against it.

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— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 11, 2020

Giannis Antetokounmpo's family also shares close ties with Tony Ronzone, who is the head of international scouting for the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is also known to take good care of their European stars, with Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic, and Kristaps Porzingis being excellent examples of that.

Milwaukee Bucks v Miami Heat - Game Three

The speculation of Giannis joining another team this offseason has picked up pace in the last few days. Jay Williams, former Chicago Bulls player and current ESPN analyst suggested that Antetokounmpo will be on the Miami Heat roster next season. He quoted -

"We’re about to see Giannis play with a Miami Heat uniform next year.I mean when you watch him play, it’s almost like, Jimmy Butler is the soul of the Miami Heat, and you wonder where the soul of the Milwaukee Bucks are, that’s with Giannis to a degree, but they’re not playing with that same sense of urgency.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo recently won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and is a favorite for the MVP award as well. If he wins, he will join an elite club of players that have won the NBA MVP trophy in back to back season. While also joining a group of legends who have won both the MVP and DPOY awards in the same season. However, with the Greek Freak yet to have any success of note in the playoffs, pressure is starting to mount on him, which is why it will be very interesting to see what his decision is during the off-season and whether he decided to stick with Milwaukee Bucks.

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