Giannis Trade Rumors: NBA Expert Weighs in on What an Atlanta Hawks Trade Offer Would Look Like For The Bucks Star

For some teams, the NBA Offseason is here. The NBA landscape is forever changing and there is expected to be more movement this offseason, including two potential game changing players becoming available on the trade market.

While not official, it sure seems like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee are heading for a split. The Bucks were beaten in five games by the Indiana Pacers, have no control over their draft picks for the rest of the decade, and are an aging team. While it would hurt to trade away a perennial MVP candidate who won a championship for them just a few years ago, it might be the best way for Milwaukee to rebuild. Giannis will bring in a large haul of both players and draft picks in any deal and the Bucks will have no shortage of options about where to send him.

While they could not offer the same kind of package as some teams, Atlanta is going to be a team worth watching too. Most will point to a potential Trae Young trade, but that does not appear likely (for now) and Atlanta may move forward with this core of Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. If the Hawks decide to do that, they need to improve their bench in a big way this offseason. Due to the NBA's CBA, you are going to be seeing a lot more three-team trades between teams so salaries can move around. Atlanta could try and attach themselves to a big deal and add some pieces to their bench if they opt to move forward with this starting five. What if the Hawks decide they want to make a bold move though? They have intriguing young talent and more draft picks than you might think.

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.

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