4 Dark Horse Teams Who Should Be In The Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes

The NBA summer will officially enter Silly Season the moment that Giannis Antetokoumpo actually becomes a full-fledged trade candidate. The rumors are already out there that he might be open to finally moving on from Milwaukee, and with that, the most obvious team names have already been floated as destinations: the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and even the Toronto Raptors (there's that longtime Masai Ujiri connection to his family).

But insider Marc Stein now adds that we should expect some dark horse candidates to be in on the madness in trying to lure the Greek Freak to town.

(Dark horse teams) are quietly lining up to make trade pitches for the 30-year-old if he becomes available...without waiting to see if they land on the widely anticipated list of preferred destinations that Antetokounmpo would be expected to furnish if he indeed reaches that point.

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report suggests the following that should be on that list:

Detroit Pistons
Memphis Grizzlies
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers

The Sixers are an intriguing one to watch. As a legitimate contender over the past several years, they would never be considered a "dark horse" candidate, except for their implosion this past season, plummeting to 24-68, their worst showing in a decade. But with a healthy Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George in tow, they can't be written off for the coming season. Imagine adding Antetokounmpo to that mix. Per Favale, they'd have to put the No. 3 pick in this year's draft and Jared McCain on the table, for starters.

The Pistons finally broke through this past season, becoming a solid playoff team for the first time in six years, as their rebuild is finally paying off. Adding Giannis to Cade Cunningham would be quite the dynamic duo and lift the Pistons to legit contenders. There are some great young rising talents in the Motor City that they could dangle in front of the Bucks to get something done, including any of the likes of Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, or Jalen Duren.

The Grizzlies would come into play if the Bucks are "targeting packages with potential centerpieces around whom they can build moving forward," writes Favale. That would be either Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. Either way, it would be an earth-shattering move for Memphis.

The Blazers seem like a much longer shot here, as they would not be contenders, even with Giannis, and that seems to be his No. 1 priority for any new destination.