Marc Stein：西部至少有一个目的地长期以来一直让字母哥有兴趣，但这个地方却很少被提及：达拉斯。

他曾有意与东契奇联手，和基德长期保持良好关系，以及如今乌杰里的加入，都是这段过程其中的影响因素。不过，目前来看，他现在大概率还是更倾向于留在东部。

League sources tell The Stein Line that there is at least one destination in the West that has long intrigued Antetokounmpo but which rarely gets mentioned.

Dallas.

The interest began to bubble years ago, of course, thanks to the presence of the Luka Dončić in The 214 and the tantalizing scenario of Giannis teaming up with Luka.

Yet the Mavericks never really left Antetokounpo's thinking, sources said, because of his close relationship with suddenly former Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. Antetokounmpo and Kidd have remained close even though they haven't worked together since the Bucks fired Kidd in January 2018 ... and I’m told that the Mavericks actually did do some behind-the-scenes investigating leading up to the February trade deadline to try to find out if they still appeal to the two-time MVP.

Now I wouldn't expect the Mavericks to come up much as a potential Giannis destination this summer, but that's more because of Dallas' expected focus on a sustained long-term build around 19-year-old Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Antetokounmpo, remember, also has a longstanding relationship with new Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, so it would be unwise to make the leap that Kidd's abrupt exit Tuesday with a whopping four seasons left on his contract is the factor that would preclude a Dallas pursuit.