The Milwaukee Bucks are working on a Plan B in order to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo, which definitely borders on a Hail Mary at this point.

Maybe nearby Green Bay and those successful last heaves on a prayer Aaron Rodgers threw are factoring into GM Jon Horst’s thinking, but word is Milwaukee is kicking around the idea of trading for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the teams have been in contact. The Miami Heat are also rumored to be chasing Antetokounmpo and contemplating whether to go all-in on change by adding Morant to the mix as well.

Morant, a former All-Star and the face of the franchise in Memphis, has been available for weeks, but the asking price for his services has been reduced dramatically this week. Teams know the Grizzlies are in the midst of a complete rebuild initiated by moving Desmond Bane to Orlando last July and Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah on Tuesday. Keeping Morant, who has clashed with first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo this season, would be a distraction and hold back the development of Ty Jerome and Cam Spencer.

Any deal in which the Bucks land Morant would almost certainly include Kyle Kuzma since the Grizzlies are unlikely to commit long-term to Myles Turner given the presence of Zach Edey, but a deal involving Kuzma and guys with player options for next season, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent and Gary Harris, could work. 

Others on expiring deals like Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony would potentially be included to make salaries match, but the bottom line is the Bucks could secure Morant for a player who hasn’t panned out in Kuzma and one who is unlikely to stay unless he receives a significant pay increase in Porter since he’s got a relatively light player option ($5.39 million) that he can waive this offseason.

Antetokounmpo would then have Morant, Turner and Bobby Portis locked into long-term deals around him while also still having brothers Thanassis and Alex on the roster, which is unlikely to happen elsewhere. 

Since the “Greek Freak” has left open the possibility of remaining in Milwaukee so long as the front office can build a winning roster around him, Horst has been able to operate without a trade demand hanging over his head. 

Prior to his most recent soleus strain, Antetokounmpo hoped to at least make the play-in and see what his team could accomplish if everyone was healthy, but the Eastern Conference has seen teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics grow stronger at the trade deadline. The Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks join those two atop the East, while the Bucks, winners of consecutive games for the first time since early January, are three games back of the final play-in spot.

Milwaukee could gamble that Morant and Antetokounmpo would be able to surge down the stretch if both are healthy, but the possibility than exists that it doesn’t work, Giannis still wants out, and they’ve got Morant on the books for more than $86 million over the next two seasons.

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