New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Giannis to Hawks, Lillard To Utah Jazz, Bucks Rebuild With Johnson

It seems like every transaction cycle in the NBA has several big names change teams. At this year's trade deadline, Luka Doncic went from being the centerpiece of a former Finals team in the Dallas Mavericks to the next generational talent to wear a Los Angeles Lakers jersey.

All signs are pointing towards the next big name on the move being Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Milwaukee 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. 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. However, if they trade Giannis, they need to consider trading away more of their expensive pieces so that they can free up more cap flexibility and add assets. Players like Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis should be on the table if Giannis is ultimately dealt. That being said, they can't trade everyone away because they don't have control over their picks. They are in the unenviable dillema of needing to remain somewhat competive during their rebuild.

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 flexibilty, 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 an guaranteed postseason berth.

Outside of an excellent 2023-24 season from Lauri Markkanen, there hasn't been much in the way of optimism from Jazz fans. They haven't hit on any of their lottery picks yet and they could stand to add more assets. While they do have all their first rounders, their stash doesn't compare to teams like San Antonio or Oklahoma City. One way that OKC built up their assets was through taking on veteran contracts for picks so that other teams could free up cap space.

That's exactly the type of role Utah could play in a Giannis trade. Off-loading the veterans who won't be part of the team's core and adding cost-controlled young talent is the only way for a team to undergo a full-scale rebuild. The Jazz have $35.3 million dollars in cap space under the luxury tax threshold and probably won't be signing any massive deals in the offseason.

What if the Bucks wanted to tear their roster down to the studs and move Damian Lillard as part of a blockbuster Giannis deal that sent their franchise player down south to Atlanta? Here is a possible framework for such a move.

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 should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Jalen Johnson, Mo Gueye, John Collins, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, 2025 1st round pick (via ATL, from SAC), 2025 1st round pick (from UTA, via MIN), 2027 1st round pick (via ATL, worst of MIL/NOP), 2031 1st round pick swap (via ATL)

Utah Jazz Receive: Damian Lillard, Terance Mann, 2025 2nd round pick (via ATL, from DET), 2030 1st round pick (via ATL), 2031 2nd round pick (via MIL)

Why the Hawks do this: It isn't exactly a tough sell as to why the Hawks would want Giannis on their team. Even if Johnson blossoms into an All-NBA level player, he will probably not reach the heights of a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who averaged 33.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists during the first round and had a 30 point, 20 rebound and 13 assist triple-double in the series finale. At only 30 years old, Giannis has multiple seasons of elite production left. The real upside of this deal is not giving up either Dyson Daniels or Zaccharie Risacher. Jackson Jr is a good defender who has tons of offensive limitations, but perhaps he can grow into a more complete two-way player next to Young in the same way that Daniels did.

Why the Hawks do not do this: They are going all-in on this deal and don't have a ton of future assets to add cost-controlled talent. Furthermore, the pairing of a Giannis-Okongwu frontcourt would be challenging to sort out because Okongwu is not a reliable shooter and Giannis operates in the midrange. Moving on from Mo Gueye isn't entirely inconsequential - he's shown real defensive skills in the limited time he's gotten with Atlanta.

Why the Bucks would do this: Johnson is the rarest archetype of forward - a scorer and passer who can also hold his own on defense. At his best, he runs the offense almost like a point guard and gets his teammates involved in a way that can mirror Giannis on some nights. He's only 23 years old and returning home to Wisconsin to be the leader of the post-Giannis Bucks would undoubtedly be somewhat appealing to him. Johnson is already under contract for the next five seasons, so Milwaukee won't have to worry about signing him to a new deal. The other players around him are solid veterans who know their role in the NBA. Sexton is a score-first guard who can be passable on defense if he has a solid frontcourt behind him. The combination of Johnson and a re-signed Brook Lopez (which the Bucks could afford) would be enough to support that. John Collins can't create his own shot, but he finished the year shooting 39.9% from 3-point range on 3.7 attempts per game , his best mark since the 2020-21 season. As Hawks fans know, he's still a huge lob threat and finishes well in the paint. His defense also took strides throughout the season despite having very little defensive infrastructure in Utah. When his shots are falling, Clarkson is an excellent option to bring off the bench. The best part about this deal is that it brings short and long-term benefits. Milwaukee can at least challenge for a play-in spot in a weak Eastern Conference with this roster while also opening up tons of financial flexibility in the future. With the exception of Johnson and Gueye, all of these contracts expire after the 2025-26 season. That means the Bucks can be a team with ample amounts of cap space during a time when the CBA severely restricts the cap space flexibility of teams. They can serve as a facilitator for trades to get picks or sign veterans that other teams can't afford to keep. Furthermore, they get two first-round picks in an excellent 2025 NBA Draft and another pick in 2027 while also having access to a potentially intriguing swap in 2031.

Why the Bucks would not do this: None of these veteran players are particularly excellent and Johnson has not been able to stay healthy so far in his very young career. If he misses an extended period of time, the Bucks would end up giving a lottery pick to the Pelicans, which would hurt. Furthermore, all of the Jazz veterans are maximized when they have an excellent playmaker to work off of. Can Ryan Rollins and Johnson really bring enough passing to do that? It's a big projection to make. Only getting three first-round picks with two of them being in this draft is also a pretty small haul of draft picks.

Why the Jazz would do this: They get a first-round pick with more upside for taking on Lillard's contract. The 2025 first from Minnesota is already locked at the 21st overall selection, which doesn't have a ton of upside. Since Utah hasn't been a particularly good drafting team, getting more picks at the higher levels of the draft makes more sense as those prospects are more put-together. Mann's contract extends for another three seasons and he can replace some of what Collin Sexton offers. The Jazz also free up a ton of space in their starting lineup for young players to develop, which will further their development trajectory and also help them land another lottery pick next season. Furthermore, when Lillard returns in 2026-27, he can potentially be a part of the Jazz making a playoff push around a young core.

Why the Jazz would not do this: They aren't getting anything significant for Collins or Sexton, but they haven't been able to trade those players until now. Getting a 2030 pick is also better for the team's future, but the Jazz do need to start winning some games soon. They've been on a rebuild for the past two seasons and they don't really have anything to show for it. A first-round pick in 2030 isn't going to meaningfully affect that.

Additional Links

How do The Atlanta Hawks Draft Picks And Assets Stack up With the Rest Of The NBA?

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

Anonymous NBA Executive Takes Big Jab At Atlanta When Discussing How the Pistons Should Improve This Summer