NBA Rumors: 4 Teams Giannis Antetokounmpo is most likely to leave Bucks for

Dallas Mavericks

During his appearance on the “48 minutes” podcast, Antetokounmpo referred to Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd as a “genius.”

Giannis played for Kidd when the Hall-of-Fame point guard coached the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-2018. The Bucks may not have advanced past the first round under Kidd, but the current Dallas coach was instrumental in the two-time MVP’s development.

Antetokounmpo was in his second season in the NBA when the Bucks acquired Jason Kidd from the Brooklyn Nets.  Giannis’ growth under Kidd’s tutelage doesn’t get talked about enough. He improved in every facet of the game over those four seasons – including increasing his scoring average from 12.7 points per game in 2015 to 26.9 points per game in 2018.

While Antetokounmpo holds Kidd in high regard, the Mavericks also have Luke Doncic on their roster. The “Greek Freak” is a fan of Doncic, a fellow European star. Can you imagine a duo of Luke and Giannis? Kyrie Irving also has a player option for the 2025-26 season. The Mavericks could possess a big three of Luka, Kyrie, and Giannis.

That would be scary for Dallas’ opponents. What’s scarier in the short term is the possibility of their own franchise player requesting a trade.

The pressure is on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and GM Nico Harrison to field a contender around Doncic. Acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a huge step in making the Dallas Mavericks a contender.