Bucks Zone

Stephen A. Smith picks Giannis as one of few NBA players who deserve a no-trade clause

Stephen A. Smith feels the Bucks should give Giannis a no-trade clause.

Matthew Dugandzic

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Stephen A. Smith was shocked to find out that Bradley Beal had a no-trade clause in his contract with the Washington Wizards.

Smith questioned why a player like Beal would have the privilege of having a no-trade clause when he has yet to play in the Conference Finals, as he is someone “who obviously has never played in the NBA finals in his career and obviously does not have a championship on his resume.”

According to Smith, there are only a few NBA players who deserve to have a no-trade clause.

Elite list

On his recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith listed five players who can have that privilege, and one of them is Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Aside from Giannis, included in Smith’s list are Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

Smith enumerated the reasons why those five players deserve a no-trade clause. As to the Greek Freak, Smith said the athletic forward has done his part to get such privilege.

Giannis’ proven track record

Being a champion player, a two-time MVP, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and a former NBA Finals MVP are more than enough reasons for Giannis to get a no-trade clause, Smith opined.

“You’re about a 6-foot-11 gazelle, unstoppable in the open court averaging 28, 29, and 12 or 13, doing whatever you want, plus you play defense, and you ain't gonna get somebody like that in Milwaukee unless you draft them. You ain't coming that free agency, getting 57 pounds of muscle since he got into the NBA, clearly dedicated,” Smith said of Antetokounmpo’s qualities.

"Should he ask for a no-trade clause, Giannis must get it right away", Smith said “Giannis is big-time. He could get a no-trade clause, no problem, no questions asked,” 

“You should be glad he asked for a no-trade clause because that implies he might not want to leave,” Smith said.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.