Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Report Confirms The Hawks' Upcoming Offseason Plans

The Atlanta Hawks season ended on Thursday when they lost in resounding fashion to the New York Knicks and now the work begins for Atlanta on what is a very interesting offseason ahead.

Last offseason, the Hawks made some critical moves such as trade for Kristaps Porzingis, sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, and trading for the unprotected 2026 first round pick from the Pelicans that is the most favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee's selections. While Porzingis and Kennard were later traded, they were worthwhile gambles that did not cost the Hawks much in terms of capital and the draft pick has Atlanta in possible position to land the No. 1 pick in what is a loaded 2026 draft class at the top.

There is a reason that general manager Onsi Saleh was a runner-up for the executive of the year and it is not just for the moves he made, but it is for the moves he did not make and how he is building the Hawks towards a more sustainable future.

New Giannis report

Ever since the Hawks acquired the pick from the Pelicans, Atlanta has been tabbed by some as a natural destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo, when and if he is traded. However, the statements made by Saleh at the Hawks exit interviews yesterday, coupled with a new report from prominent NBA insider Jake Fischer paints a different picture:

"'I've received no indication to this point that the Hawks have designs on pursuing Antetokounmpo via trade this summer. Sources say that Atlanta is not eager to splurge for major roster additions, preferring to focus on internal improvement and addressing the futures of CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga along with coach Quin Snyder (who has only one season left on his current contract).

My early read is that Atlanta's disastrous Game 6 home loss to the Knicks, which stunningly saw the Hawks fall behind 72-22, is unlikely to change Atlanta's approach. I spent quite a bit of time around the Hawks during the New York series and came away with the distinct impression that team officials are encouraged by Atlanta's second-half improvement and buoyed by the measured approach they feel they took in revamping the roster by trading away former All-Stars Young and Kristaps Porziņģis in January and February."

This aligns perfectly with what Saleh said yesterday to the media:

"We are not one player away from this; the best iteration of this team is going to be through development, and our players are currently getting better. We're really excited about the future and what lies there, from the draft to the flexibility moving forward, all that stuff. We're in a good place, position set up moving forward, and our coaching staff has just been remarkable this year."

This new report is not surprising. The Hawks had a successful season despite the playoff result and they have a core of four players, Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, and Dyson Daniels that they can continue to put the right pieces around.

Three things to watch this offseason are going to be:

1. Where the lottery pick lands
2. CJ McCollum
3. Jonthan Kuminga $24 million team option

The lottery is next Sunday and that is going to be the first domino to drop for Atlanta. They could leap into the top four and get one of the elite prospects or they could be in the 7-10 range and have to figure out who to select, trade up, or trade down. Then, the rest will fall into place and they can build this roster and keep contending for playoff spots.

Just don't expect next year's team to have Giannis Antetokounmpo on it.

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