New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Lauri Markkanen to Bucks, Hawks Get Versatile Sixth Man

The Utah Jazz are currently in the midst of a rebuild that doesn't appear to be going anywhere. They made a good decision by taking a shot on Lauri Markkanen in their return for the Donovan Mitchell trade and Walker Kessler has been a solid center since they acquired him from the Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert deal. However, very little has gone right for the Jazz in the draft. Their recent run of first-round picks in Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier has yet to yield anyone with star upside or even a guaranteed NBA roster spot as a high-level rotation player.

This offseason, they have the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and two massive expiring contracts in power forward John Collins and combo guard Collin Sexton to arrange trade destinations for. However, their most valuable trade asset is still Markkanen, who declined rapidly from his excellent 2023-24 campaign upon being handed a five-year, $238 million dollar extension.

Although there isn't any buzz about an impending Markkanen trade, Bill Simmons of the Ringer seems to think there could be a deal done for the right price. He had this to say in a recent podcast appearance:

"I'm on high alert with Utah. Austin [Ainge] took that job. He had a quote in a press conference... where he was just like, 'Yeah, we're not tanking anymore.' It's, like, alright! And, around the league, people seem to feel like Markkanen isn't not available."

One team that could be interested is the Milwaukee Bucks. They seem to be heading towards keeping superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for 2025-26 and Damian Lillard is expected to miss a significant chunk, if not all, of the upcoming season. If Markkanen is able to play well in Lillard's absence and slide into a tertiary role upon his return, the Bucks could be an interesting playoff team next season.

Because the Bucks aren't working with a ton of salary cap space this offseason, it's possible that including a third team could be helpful for both sides.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal. The Hawks are an example of such a team. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Bobby Portis

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Lauri Markkanen, Kobe Bufkin, Svi Mykhailiuk, Dominick Barlow, 2025 1st round pick (via MIN, from UTA, #21), 2025 2nd round pick (via LAC, from UTA, #53), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)

Utah Jazz Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Pat Connaughton, Dominick Barlow, 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE, from ATL), 2031 1st round pick (unprotected, via MIL)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Prior to his suspension for using PEDs, Portis was averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range. He missed 25 games due to the suspension and as a result, did not look the same as the player who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for two straight seasons. Still, he is a good piece to have in the regular season due to his scoring and rebounding. He finished last season with a DREB% of 23.1%, good for the 84th percentile among all bigs. Considering that the Hawks have struggled to find a solution at PF in the absence of Jalen Johnson, Portis could slide into that role on a temporary basis while also being able to occasionally play center in a pinch. His defense is inconsistent, but he can play well within a strong team defense and the Hawks could have that next season if Johnson, Okongwu and Daniels are able to stay healthy in addition to Mo Gueye taking another step forward.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Portis has defensive lapses that make him a very frustrating fit for a team that is trying to make meaningful upgrades to its defense. He's also on the older side and doesn't have the same effectivenss when he plays at center. Furthermore, he's owed $13.4 million this season, which is a significant chunk of cap space even when accounting for the Hawks sending contracts out in this move. There is also a risk associated with moving on from Kobe Bufkin so early in his career.

Why the Bucks would do this deal: Markkanen was one of the most desirable players after the 2023-24 season due to a fantastic season where he averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds on 63% TS, 40% from three on eight attempts per game and 41.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. Swapping him in for Kuzma would be an instant upgrade and his down season last year still yielded 19 points and 5.9 rebounds on 42.3/34.6/87.6 shooting splits despite struggling with injuries for most of the year. He's a massive wing who can line up at either SF or PF, firmly in his prime at 28 years old and he's already signed for the next four seasons. Combining him with Giannis could be a devastating duo that gives the Bucks enough to cling to a playoff spot in a weak Eastern Conference. Bufkin has struggled with injuries, but he's an interesting candidate to play point guard in the likely absence of Lillard considering that he's shown intriguing defensive flashes. Barlow struggled in a backup center role for Atlanta last year, but it's possible he could continue to grow in Milwaukee and the Bucks do need center depth if Brook Lopez either signs elsewhere or retires. Mykhailiuk is a solid bench wing who averaged 8.8 points per game and shot 80% from the charity stripe. He competes hard on both ends and has championship experience from his time with the Celtics. If they can still contribute, adding veterans with that type of experience is helpful for the Bucks. They also have $13.5 million in luxury tax space, which should be enough to re-sign Gary Trent Jr and possibly even Taurean Prince if they can go into the tax.

Why the Bucks would not do this deal: They are giving up their last remaining significant asset - other than Giannis - for a player who has never played in the postseason. It is unclear how Lauri's game will translate to the playoffs and that has to be in consideration due to Giannis likely being on the roster. Furthermore, it's possible that his 2023-24 season was just a fluke and it is dangerous to spend so much on a player with one season of high-level production.

Why the Jazz would do this deal: Considering they already have an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and their own 2031 first-rounder, the Bucks are set up well for the future with another intriguing 2031 first-rounder from Milwaukee. Kuzma struggled mightily in the postseason for the Bucks, but he averaged 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the 33 games he played in the regular season. He's an inefficient player and he's on a bad contract, but a return to Utah, where he starred for the Utes, could bring out better play for a team with lower expectations. If Kuzma doesn't yield any value for Utah, Tyler Smith is an intriguing prospect for them to develop. While playing for Overtime Elite in the G-League, he scored 15.7 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had 1.3 blocks per game. In his first season with the Herd, he shot 38% from three-point range on 3.3 attempts per game and 78.9% from the line. It's a small sample size and he only generated 1.3 FTA per game, but there's signs of a good shooter in Smith's game and he could develop that further with the Jazz. If they are able to deal Sexton, Connaughton gives them more depth in the backcourt and a veteran presence that might be valuable on a young team.

Why the Jazz would not do this deal: They aren't getting any high-level young players and the Bucks pick is very far out. The Jazz likely won't still be rebuilding by the time 2031 comes around and given how important Markkanen is to their team, it will be hard to replace his impact and keep them respectable enough to assess the growth of their young players.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

2025 NBA Draft Profile- How Does Georgetown Center Thomas Sorber Fit With Atlanta?

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Wiggins Home, Hawks Add Rotation Wing From Eastern Conference Rival

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Michael Porter Jr to Miami, Hawks Add Young Pieces

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jaylen Brown to San Antonio, Atlanta Adds Elite Shooter