Even on the peak Milwaukee teams that could run 5-out around Giannis, they were never very switchable, with guys like Lopez stuck in drop. Myles Turner is a bit better, but the pairing of Giannis and JJJ is a match made in heaven, with Giannis's rebounding even making up for JJJ's one big weakness there. With Aldama off the bench, they'd always have great shooting around him, or they could turn to Landale for beefier matchups as necessary.
On the perimeter, even with two starters gone, there's no shortage of talent. Cam Spencer could see his passing grow further in a true secondary playmaking role behind Giannis, and his shooting is lights-out. Jaylen Wells is a lockdown defender that has started every game this season and expanded his offense lately after finishing third in ROTY voting last season. Vince Williams has been inefficient but still shows a lot of promise, and we know what sharpshooting vets like John Konchar and KCP bring to the table. Kyle Kuzma and GG Jackson provide more size and flexibility to the forward position, giving the team eleven rotation-worthy players by my count, even after consolidating.
That sort of matchup issue could give OKC fits in theory, and arguably would give Memphis an instant top-three contender. With nearly everyone being so young on the team, they'd only improve around Giannis too, making it a sustainable future even if they won't have many picks anymore.
For the Bucks, Giannis could theoretically return a better package, but who would offer one? The Knicks are the #1 destination, but they don't really have picks to give; are you that excited about a return centered around KAT or OG Anunoby? I know I'm not. Miami can weasel their way into any convo, but are Giannis and Bam an ideal fit? San Antonio or OKC would be able to offer the most while still providing a ready-made contender. But with OKC defending their title and San ANtonio having three amazing, cost-controlled young players and a well-fitting roster, do either want to shorten their window even if it drastically improves their odds now?
Despite just being a rookie, Coward has already put up some fantastic numbers, and looks to be a real building block piece. Edey is a very unique young player that provides unique matchup advantages, and was 5th in ROTY voting last year for a reason. Brandon Clarke is mostly a throw-in for salary, but even he is a solid rotational big with positional flexibility in his prime. Two young long-term pieces, four firsts, and maybe some additional swaps aren't a bad return.
But really, this deal can go from "decent way to kickstart a rebuild" to "heist" if one thing can go right: Ja Morant. Right now he might be a negative contract who can't stop himself from getting suspended. Yet we're not so far removed from him making two straight all-star games, one All-NBA team, and even receiving a few stray MVP votes. Even with his games played, minutes played, and other raw stats all dwindling down a bit over time, this is still a player who is averaging 25-5-7 over the last five years combined. He's one of the few players in the league that can even roughly approximate Giannis's downhill rim pressure, and could step in and run a lot of the same actions Giannis already does without the offense needing to change a ton. And of course, he's five years younger than Giannis.
The assets ran dry in Milwaukee, and even with Giannis playing as good as ever, there was no remaining way for them to put a contender around him. Could Ja rediscover his early-career self in a city not known for its extracurricular activities? Could they combine the best youth of Milwaukee and Memphis and end up with a good, deep, young team sooner than we think? Or could Ja raise his value enough that he has trade value, and they flip him for even more picks or other players to fit around the ascending backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Cedric Coward? If any of those happen, Milwaukee might be onto its next era and thriving before they have too much time to miss Giannis.