Giannis Gives Major Praise for 'Genius' Mavs Coach Kidd Amid Bucks Rumors

When it comes to what Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo wants in his next potential destination, the Dallas Mavericks might have it all.

Dalton Trigg | Sep 14, 2023

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The Dallas Mavericks have long admired Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. This was true with the previous front office, as former general manager Donnie Nelson was one of the first people to scout the “Greak Freak” before his NBA days. This is likely still true now as well, because who wouldn’t be interested in a 28-year-old star that has won a championship and two MVP awards?

Despite Antetokounmpo’s success in Milwaukee, he is disappointed after coming off a disappointing first-round playoffs loss to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. As a result, he’s sent the Bucks’ front office multiple messages this summer.

"I'm a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly I'm a winner. ... If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O'Brien I have to take that better situation,” Antetokounmpo told the 48 Minutes Podcast this week.

When it comes to having the best chance to win multiple championships, what could be a better situation for Antetokounmpo than joining forces with Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic? The 24-year-old phenom is coming off his fourth All-NBA First Team selection in five seasons, and he’s already been dubbed as being ‘on the precipice’ for major accolades like MVPs and championships by the likes of Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

Not to mention, the Mavs already have a second star on deck in Kyrie Irving. With Irving and Doncic dominating the backcourt, Antetokounmpo joining the Mavs’ frontcourt would create the most feared super team we’ve seen since the Warriors were at the peak of their powers.

Coaching also helps the Mavs’ chances of potentially getting in on the star forward’s sweepstakes, as Antetokounmpo loves Dallas head coach Jason Kidd.

"Genius," Antetokounmpo said of Kidd when asked to describe him in one word.

Antetokounmpo also went out of his way to thank Kidd, his former coach in Milwaukee from 2014-18, for helping him develop after winning the 2021 championship with the Bucks.

Is the idea of Antetokounmpo joining the Mavs a pipe dream? Absolutely, but it’s also a pipe dream for all the other teams looking to acquire him via free agency or trade when/if he decides he’s ready to leave. What matters most is what ‘better situation’ Antetokounmpo wants, because whatever that is, he’s made it clear that he’s going to get it.

Published Sep 14, 2023

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.