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He likes us! He really likes us!
The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams on Davis' new extended list, league sources tell ESPN. Milwaukee hasn't inquired about a Davis trade, sources say, and its roster composition does make the pathway to a trade extremely difficult.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2019
Straight from the bay doors of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, today’s #WojBomb says that, yes, Anthony Davis likes the Milwaukee Bucks and (theoretically) would cherish playing next to fellow MVP-level superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Davis likes the idea so much that he, reportedly, would even stick around long-term!
While it’s exciting to see the Bucks’ name up in lights like this, don’t hold your breath, for a number of reasons. As Sam Vecenie and Eric Nehm mention below, Milwaukee simply doesn’t have the assets that a team like the New Orleans Pelicans would be interested in. The young prospects don’t have a high enough ceiling, the current veterans are all primed to hit free agency (and therefore are no guarantee to stay), and Milwaukee’s first round picks are tied up for years.
Anddddddd their firsts are already tied up. Part of what makes this so impossible. https://t.co/uNAsBKLUrq
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 4, 2019
It’s also in dispute whether or not Davis really considers Milwaukee a viable destination for the next phase of his career. All of the reporting thus far is that Davis is interested in a large market where he can compete for a title, and the main candidates have been the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks, with the Boston Celtics surprisingly lagging behind.
See? What did I tell y'all: https://t.co/G7ZCKeZxtD
— Mason Ginsberg (@MasonGinsberg) February 4, 2019
One ancillary benefit of all this hoopla? Davis’ willingness to highlight the Milwaukee Bucks as a franchise he’d be willing to stay at long-term demonstrates a certain level of respect for where the team is and where they’re headed. So we tip our cap to you, Anthony Davis, and we appreciate your using the Bucks’ success as leverage as you work your way towards a bigger market. Maybe you’ll be a Laker, maybe you’ll play for the Knicks, but Giannis is upon us, so if we see you in the playoffs, Bucks in six.