New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Herb Jones and CJ McCollum to Bucks, Hawks Get Backup Big Man

Although the Milwaukee Bucks have been a consistent force in the Eastern Conference, their current situation paints a grim picture for the future. The Bucks only have control over their first round picks in 2031 and they don't have any young players of note to further their championship window. The roster lacks depth and many of its best players are old. They just made a trade for Kyle Kuzma, who has contributed almost nothing to the Bucks since his arrival. To make matters worse, the current situation isn't strong. They are currently down 2-0 against the Pacers and Indiana has consistently looked like the better team despite MVP contender Giannis putting up great numbers. There is also the pressure for Giannis to add a second title to his legacy. He is 30 years old and his years of MVP-caliber play are more likely to end sooner rather than later.

Despite this, all signs are pointing towards Giannis staying. ESPN insiders Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks recently published an article outlining several moves the Bucks can make to build around Giannis because of what they are hearing and they had this to say about the matter:

"However, sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo"

If the Bucks want to put a team around Giannis that can compete in the short-term and long-term, they need to get back multiple players that are in various stages of development. One team that can offer those players is the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans have two excellent wings in Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, as well as a player capable of powering the offense in Zion Williamson, but their frequent injury issues have derailed any momentum they have in the Western Conference. It is well-known that anyone on New Orleans is avaliable for the right price and if the Pelicans got back an appropriate package, they could be enticed into giving up some of their best pieces.

The Bucks are working without a ton of cap flexibility and want to remain below the luxury tax threshold so that they can have access to the non-taxpayer MLE and bring back Gary Trent Jr. Therefore, it would make the most sense to bring in a third team to take on salaries. The Hawks could be that third 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.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

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 Jr

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Tyler Smith, 2025 2nd round pick (via MIL, #47), 2026 2nd round pick (via UTA, from MIL), 2031 1st round pick (via MIL, unprotected), 2031 2nd round pick (via MIL)

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Herb Jones, Yves Missi, CJ McCollum, Kobe Bufkin, 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE)

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 Pelicans would do this deal: While the Pelicans are sending out a lot of pieces and taking back a bad contract in Kuzma, the upside of adding an unprotected 2031 Bucks first-round pick is incredibly enticing because there is very little chance Giannis is still on the Bucks by then. That could very easily be a top-five pick, which would be massive for the Pelicans as they embark on yet another rebuild. Furthermore, they are also clearing a staggering $22.9 million in cap space this season and Kuzma's contract will expire after next season. They can replace Missi with a center like Khaman Maluach or Jones with Ace Bailey if he slips in the draft to their pick at seventh overall. It also helps the Pelicans further bottom out in the Western Conference, which gives them better odds at making a jump in the lottery. 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 desperate team might be willing to give assets for him. If Kuzma doesn't yield any value for New Orleans, 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 Pelicans.

Why the Pelicans would not do this deal: The value of the 2031 pick may not be enough for Missi, McCollum and Jones. Missi had a solid rookie season and trading him away also reduces their options for what to do at #7. They are also taking on a bad contract in Kuzma's deal that extends for another two seasons, which does take away some of their long-term cap space.

Why the Bucks would do this deal: In this deal, the Bucks are getting a good blend of veteran talent and youth. A healthy Herb Jones is the perfect defensive complement to Giannis. He's never finished below the 94th percentile for STL% across all wings in his career and posted a career-best STL% of 2.8% in the 20 games he played this season. In the 2023-24 season, he also recorded a BLK% of 2.6%, which coincidentally matched Giannis. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the league because he excels at both on-ball and off-ball defense. Jones has even played center in small-ball lineups, meaning that he can even go against opposing centers if needed. Adding him to a lineup that already has Giannis, who is one of the best help defenders of all time and possibly Brook Lopez as a still-imposing rim protector in it would make the Bucks one of the better defenses in basketball. On offense, Jones isn't the most dynamic player, but he shot 41.8% from three-point range on 3.6 attempts per game in his last healthy season. McCollum is a high-volume scorer who can run some offense in the absence of Lillard and averaged 21.1 points on 44.4/37.3/71.7% shooting splits in a down year. Missi was one of the most impactful rookies last season, making All-Rookie Second Team due to his ability to crank out double-doubles. He was a very impactful rebounder in his first season and also recorded a BLK% of 4.8%, illustrating future upside as a respectable shot blocker. Missi's offensive game is still growing, but his athleticism allowed him to find some success as a scorer in the paint while he showed utility as a screener to get teammates open. Perhaps most importantly for the Bucks, he's under contract for the next three seasons at only $3.3 million per year, an incredibly cheap price for a starting center. Bufkin has showed flashes of being a good defender in the limited time that he's been able to stay healthy. However, he's only 21 and could develop into a solid backcourt contributor with time. Milwaukee still stays $8.4 million below the luxury tax, which should give them access to the non-tax MLE and allow them to sign Trent Jr.

Why the Bucks would not do this deal: The 2031 first-round pick is Milwaukee's last remaining asset of significance (other than Giannis) until they have access to their 2032 first-round draft pick after the draft. They are also giving up their remaining second-rounders to make this happen, meaning that they will be very reliant on favorable swaps and veteran talent for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, McCollum is firmly on the decline and won't be able to give Milwaukee anything on defense.

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