While the NBA Playoffs are still rolling on and the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery (AKA, the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes) will happen tonight, there is not a bigger offseason storyline than the potential trade of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks lost in the first round for the third straight season and the Bucks are depleted of resources, whether it is young players or draft picks. While there have been rumors around a Giannis trade for a few years, this feels like the first offseason where the rumors might have some legs to them.
In a report from ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, it sounds like Antetokounmpo is going to keep his options open this summer:
“The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise’s third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.
Teams have approached the Bucks frequently over the years about the availability of Antetokounmpo as a normal exercise, and are expected to ramp up due diligence during combine week, according to league sources.
But any conversations surrounding the perennial All-NBA superstar and 2021 NBA champion start primarily with where he believes his long-term future lies, and whether there is a franchise outside of Milwaukee that is sensible for him.”
If Milwaukee does seriously explore trading Giannis, could the Hawks be a legitimate option? Every team in the NBA is going to want to trade for one of the league’s top three players. Our own Rohan Raman broke down what the Hawks could use in a Giannis trade and how the Hawks might have a better offer than you might think.
“The Hawks are in the same conference as the Bucks, but they are also one of the few teams who can trade for Giannis and keep their roster more or less intact. They have a good amount of salary flexibility, a possible replacement for Giannis already on a max contract in Jalen Johnson and have more assets than the average fan would expect. Per ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, they’re 14th in assets relative to the NBA when looking at the totality of their draft picks. Outside of giving up a unprotect first to the San Antonio Spurs in 2027, the Hawks will have outright control of their pick or a chance of keeping their own pick in every other draft from 2025 through 2031. It goes without saying that the pairing of Trae Young and Giannis would be a difficult force to stop in the Eastern Conference and give the Hawks a guaranteed postseason berth.”
There is no realistic scenario where the Hawks trade for Giannis and Jalen Johnson is not part of the deal, but what else would it take?
The Ringer recently put together a list of seven Giannis trades they would love to see this summer and the Hawks made the cut. Here is what Howard Beck had to say about Atlanta’s offer:
Bucks receive: Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and a modest assortment of draft picks for Giannis.
Howard Beck: “In theory, the Bucks should go for the gaudiest haul of draft picks they can get. But there just aren’t many teams who (a) have a gaudy haul to offer, and (b) would still have a quality lineup after matching salaries in the trade. (Oklahoma City could do it, but I’m not touching a 68-win team.) So let’s try an alternate path.
The 23-year-old Johnson was having a breakout campaign—averaging nearly 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists—before a torn labrum ended his season in January. He has the size and skills to be an All-Star. Risacher, the no. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, showed promise in his rookie season. In tandem, the two forwards could form the foundation of a fun, competitive new Bucks team and prevent them from bottoming out entirely. (Tanking is off the table, since Milwaukee doesn’t control its first-round pick until 2031.) Atlanta could round out the package with some combination of draft picks, perhaps including two this June: no. 13 (obtained from Sacramento) and no. 22 (from the Lakers).
Pairing Giannis with Trae Young would give the Hawks a younger, bouncier version of what the Bucks envisioned in pairing Giannis with Damian Lillard: an absolutely lethal pick-and-roll duo. The offensive fit of Giannis and Onyeka Okongwu might be a bit wonky, but they’d present a formidable defensive safety net. And the Hawks would still retain enough draft capital to keep adding talent.”
If the Hawks were going to trade for Giannis, there is no doubt that Jalen Johnson would have to be in the deal, but could the Hawks get away with not including Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, or Onyeka Okongwu? If they succeeded, the Hawks would easily have one of the best lineups in the NBA. Even if they had to trade Risacher, a lineup that included Giannis, Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu would be at minimum a playoff team in the Eastern Confernce.
There is no concrete answer as to whether or not Antetokounmpo will be traded, but if he is, Atlanta could make a more compelling offer than you might think. Keep an eye on this storyline this summer.
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