Report: Raptors, Giannis share mutual interest

The Toronto Raptors may be a preferred destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Milwaukee Bucks star requests a trade this summer.

There's a mutual interest shared between the Raptors and the nine-time All-Star, according to the Toronto Star's Doug Smith, who posits that Toronto could entice Milwaukee with a trade package featuring some of its young players, as well as considerable draft compensation.

Antetokounmpo has yet to make any decisions about his long-term future following Milwaukee's five-game, first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers in late April. The Greek Freak is expected to sit down with Bucks ownership this offseason, but that meeting reportedly had yet to happen as of Tuesday.

Toronto, meanwhile, is supposedly hunting for a blockbuster acquisition. Teams around the league are under the belief that the Raptors are gearing up to try to trade for a "big fish" this summer, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Sunday on "The Hoop Collective" podcast. However, it's unclear if Antetokounmpo is a priority for the Raptors' front office.

Antetokounmpo is under contract through 2027-28, a season in which he'll hold an estimated $62.3-million player option. However, he reportedly signaled in May that he's now open to considering his best fits outside Milwaukee with the Bucks in a difficult situation. Damian Lillard will likely miss a substantial portion of next season after tearing his Achilles in the Pacers series, potentially hamstringing Milwaukee's ability to be competitive in 2025-26.

Further complicating matters is that a host of key Bucks rotation players could leave this summer. Veteran center Brook Lopez and shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. are impending free agents, while Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Kevin Porter Jr. all have player options.