Don’t Come: Giannis Antetokounmpo has the Sixers on his radar because he’s in love with Tyrese Maxey

ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the grenade this week saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is “ready for a new home” ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Obviously, multiple teams have already come in with aggressive offers while Milwaukee is “starting to listen.”

Next thing you know, the Philadelphia 76ers popped up on the list of teams that could be a landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo because he loves the idea of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey.

Don’t Come: Giannis Antetokounmpo loves Tyrese Maxey

Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly has the 76ers on his radar and likes Tyrese Maxey, per @TheSteinLine & @JakeLFischer

“League sources say Philadelphia, furthermore, has not contacted Milwaukee about a possible Antetokounmpo deal in the wake of a better-than-expected first half,… pic.twitter.com/993P7eMxCy

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 29, 2026

That makes sense for a few reasons. The first is obvious. Tyrese Maxey is ELITE and everyone with half a brain would want to hoop alongside him. The two also train together in the offseason with Drew Hanlen, so there’s a connection there.

Worth noting, the king of anonymous sources, Jake Fischer, reported that the Sixers have not contacted the Bucks about Giannis, so this is all pure speculation and if we’re lucky, it will stay that way.

Sixers fans need to stop drooling and start thinking.

If the thing Giannis likes about Philly is Maxey, then Maxey is obviously off-limits. So now you’re trying to salary-match a Giannis deal without using Maxey, which means you’re immediately staring at the only contracts big enough in Joel Embiid or Paul George.

Milwaukee is not doing a clean one-for-one swap of Giannis for Embiid, especially with Embiid’s health questions and his contract situation. That leaves Paul George as the main focus of any trade package and if you think the Bucks are trading Giannis for Paul George without a haul attached, you’re dreaming.

Shams’ reporting has Milwaukee’s ask in the usual superstar language. The Bucks want a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks. That means the conversation quickly becomes VJ Edgecombe plus whatever picks the Sixers can scrape together, and that’s where this whole thing turns into a trap.

The Sixers owe a first to OKC that’s top-4 protected, and their future first-round flexibility is already tangled up because of protections and obligations.

Fischer rolled out a classic note that “rival execs” say the Bucks are “asking for the moon,” meaning all your young guys and all your picks.

So what are we really talking about here?

A deal where the Sixers ship out Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and a pile of picks and swaps, just to land a 31-year-old who can be a free agent in 2027, while also trying to keep Maxey happy and praying Embiid’s knees hold up long enough to make it worth it.

The worrisome part about this is Joshua Harris and Daryl Morey who are absolute morons and might be the only pair in the NBA that would actually do something so stupid and completely ruin the Sixers.

Even then, I have my doubts. The fact the Sixers aren’t calling is the clearest sign yet they’re operating in two timelines. They’re “stuck” with Embiid and George because those contracts are what they are, but they’re protecting the future with Maxey and Edgecombe instead of lighting it on fire for one desperate run.

Good.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to scurry around like a rat and leave bread crumbs saying that he likes the Sixers because of Maxey, we should immediately turn our heads and forget about anything.

At most, the Bucks can accept an offer that features Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond, and Kate Scott. That’s all we are willing to offer in any type of trade package.

Outside of that, here’s what another idea for Giannis Antetokounmpo

It should go without saying that the smartest move Philly can make is staying out of the bidding war, keeping Maxey and Edgecombe, and saving their real ammo.

they can have kate scott too per @Bcass28

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) January 29, 2026

Join The Chase