From now through the February 5 trade deadline, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name is going to hover around the NBA rumor mill like a storm cloud. And with the Milwaukee Bucks looking more and more like a team in transition, it's fair to wonder: could the Utah Jazz make a play for the two-time MVP?
On paper, Utah has the assets. But in reality, making a deal for Giannis is a far more complicated puzzle than it might seem.
Let’s start with the basics. The Jazz are sitting on a treasure chest of draft capital-nine tradable first-round picks, plus swap rights with Cleveland in 2028.
That’s the kind of war chest that gets you in the room for a superstar conversation. But when it comes to matching salaries for a player of Giannis’ caliber and contract size, things get tricky fast.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks pointed out, unless Utah includes Lauri Markkanen in the deal-a move that would completely undermine the point of trading for Giannis in the first place-they’d need to move at least five players just to make the math work. That’s because 14 players on their roster are making less than $19.5 million. So unless Markkanen is off the table (and he should be), Utah would have to send out a package that guts a good chunk of its rotation.
Think names like Jusuf Nurkic, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and Kevin Love-veterans who help provide structure and depth. Shipping them out en masse would force Utah to scramble for reinforcements, potentially converting two-way contracts and dipping into their developmental pipeline just to fill out a viable roster.
And even if Utah could pull that off, there’s another layer to this: Milwaukee isn’t just looking to tear it down. If the Bucks do move Giannis, they’ll want more than just picks and cap flexibility.
They’ll want young, high-upside talent-players they can build around. That likely means Utah would have to put Keyonte George and Ace Bailey in the deal just to get the Bucks to pick up the phone.
Now, let’s be real: as promising as George and Bailey are, the odds of either becoming a Giannis-level player are slim. That’s not a knock on their potential-it’s just a reflection of how rare Giannis is. But that’s not the only risk Utah would be taking.
Antetokounmpo can hit free agency in 2027. And while he’s still firmly in his prime, the past few seasons have seen a few more injuries creep into the picture.
It’s likely he’ll opt out of his current deal to secure a longer-term contract. That means Utah wouldn’t just be trading for Giannis-they’d be betting on their ability to convince him to stay.
And that’s where things get even more uncertain. There’s no guarantee Giannis would be interested in a long-term future in Salt Lake City. If he doesn’t see a path to contention or doesn’t feel a fit with the organization or the market, Utah could find itself in a short-term rental situation with a steep price tag.
So yes, you could argue that Giannis is worth the gamble. He’s a generational talent, the kind of player who instantly raises your ceiling to championship level. But giving up George and Bailey-two potential cornerstones of the Jazz’s future-could hamstring the team’s long-term growth if Giannis walks in 18 months.
And let’s not forget: the Jazz are already in a strong position. With a young core, a smart front office, and plenty of draft capital, they’re building something sustainable. They don’t need to force a win-now move that could derail their trajectory for the sake of a short-term splash.
Sure, nobody wants to see Giannis land with a Western Conference rival. But Utah’s timeline doesn’t have to align with his.
The Greek Freak is still a force, but he’s entering his early 30s. His window may not match the Jazz’s.
Utah has the tools to be a contender for years to come. They don’t need to mortgage the future for a shot at a season and a half with Giannis-no matter how tempting that might be.