Latest odds for Giannis' next destination released: Rockets lead as favorites, Knicks second, Warriors only tenth

On January 29th Beijing time, after Shams reported that Giannis is prepared for a trade and the Bucks are willing to listen to offers, the Greek player’s destination quickly became a hot topic. Following this, the odds for his next team came out, with the Rockets leading, Knicks in second place, Warriors tenth, and Lakers twelfth. The detailed rankings are as follows —

Positions 1 to 10: 1. Rockets, 2. Knicks, 3. Hawks, 4. Spurs, 5. Raptors, 6. Heat, 7. Thunder, 8. Mavericks and Pacers, 10. Warriors

Positions 11 to 20: 11. Pistons, 12. Lakers, 13. Cavaliers, 14. Trail Blazers, 15. Hornets, 16. Pelicans and Jazz, 18. Timberwolves, Magic and 76ers

Positions 21 and beyond: 21. Celtics, Bulls and Grizzlies, 24. Nets and Kings, 26. Nuggets, Clippers, Suns and Wizards

Earlier reports indicated that Giannis’ preferred teams are the Knicks, Heat, and Timberwolves. In the odds list, Knicks rank second, Heat sixth, while Timberwolves are only eighteenth. Giannis does not have trade veto power, so his destination is not entirely in his control. Although insider MacMahon reported that the Rockets would not compete for Giannis, they still top the odds list. Additionally,Giannis’ mother posted an old photo of her son at the Heat’s arena on social media today, which naturally drew attention.

ESPN stated that the Bucks’ trade goals should include three aspects: making the roster younger, rebuilding draft asset reserves, and acquiring ready-to-play talent, with draft assets being a particularly important need.

Looking solely at first-round pick reserves, the Thunder, Nets, Hornets, Grizzlies, Kings, Jazz, and Wizards hold the most chips in the league.

These seven teams control 50% of all tradable first-round picks in the league over the next seven years. However, this does not mean the Thunder will dismantle their championship-contending roster to pursue Giannis; although the Nets have enough first-round picks and salary cap space, if Giannis joins, the roster he inherits may be even worse than the Bucks’.

ESPN also reported earlier that 11 teams have enough draft picks and player assets to potentially sway the Bucks, namely the Hawks, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors.

The Trail Blazers are a notable potential destination and might also act as a third party in the trade, as they hold the Bucks’ first-round picks from 2028 to 2030.

For the Warriors, acquiring Giannis could be an excellent chance to team up with Curry for a final championship run. But to make the trade happen, the Warriors might need to send out the injured Butler along with nearly all available first-round picks — per rules, the Warriors can trade up to four first-round picks.

There are other factors to consider: teams interested in acquiring Giannis must confirm he is willing to re-sign during the offseason. Since October 2nd, Giannis has been eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension. Additionally, no matter which team Giannis is traded to, his brother Thanasis is expected to be included in the deal. The Bucks previously signed Thanasis at minimum salary mainly to please Giannis.