The Milwaukee Bucks have remained interested in trading for Kyrie Irving, and trade talks are expected to gain steam in the coming weeks. As for the availability of star player Giannis Antetokounmpo in any trade packages to Cleveland, the Bucks assured its fans: the Greek Freak is off limits.
The report:
Veteran NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Bucks are still very much open to trading for the Cavs' All-Star guard, provided that their star player won’t be involved in trade discussions. Milwaukee became a major force in the Eastern Conference this past season, and Giannis is a big reason behind the team’s resurgence.
“Milwaukee has shown interest in Irving, too, league sources said, but there isn’t that one young star — of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is untouchable — who makes sense for Cleveland,” per Woj.
The Cavs, on the other hand, are determined to land an established star or an up-and-coming player who can be their next franchise player. Woj stated that Cleveland is operating on the idea that both Irving and LeBron James will be gone after this season, though they will nevertheless exhaust all options to keep the four-time NBA MVP long-term.
Jabari Parker – trade bait
One youngster on the Bucks’ roster that could pique the interest of the Cavs in future trade talks is Jabari Parker. The former Duke Blue Devils star has lagged behind 2014 Draft Class standouts Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, though injuries have been the biggest roadblock in his career.
When healthy, Parker averages at least 15 points and 5 rebounds per game.
He was having a breakout season alongside Antetokounmpo last season, putting up 20.1 points on 49 percent FG shooting and a 37 percent clip from beyond the arc. However, misfortune stuck anew midway into the season when he suffered another ACL injury in February.
The 22-year old Parker is eligible for a contract extension, but the Bucks are putting any contract extension negotiations on hold for now. For Parker, bouncing back from the injury will be big for his career moving forward, whether it will be with the Bucks or another team. The Cavs, who are earnestly searching for the heir-apparent to LeBron, will be watching Parker’s recovery very closely.
DYST NOW NBA writer Mike Ortiz reported a couple of weeks ago that Parker was one of several players linked to the Cavs in a potential three-way trade with the Bucks and the Phoenix Suns.
Trade package to Cleveland
After all, Parker is still on a rookie scale contract and a player with an All-Star ceiling like him would be a win-win move for Cleveland. A trade package consisting of Parker, Greg Monroe, and Matthew Dellavedova (plus a couple of future picks) could seal the deal for the Bucks to acquire a dynamic guard like Irving.
