The Flaw in This Three-Team Giannis Trade Idea That Involves the Hornets

Charlotte has been included in big multi-team trades before, but this one doesn't make a ton of sense.

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

It's another summer where Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is at the center of NBA trade talks, and it feels like this might be the offseason where he finally gets moved.

The Charlotte Hornets have a ton of draft picks and intriguing players that they could piece together to give Milwaukee an intriguing offer to land the superstar, but that's not something Jeff Peterson and this front office are ready to embark on just yet. They are still a year or two away from making that big, splashy move to open up their championship window.

That said, they could play a role in a potential blockbuster deal featuring Giannis, just like they did in the six-team trade that sent Klay Thompson from Golden State to Dallas, as well as the three-team trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York.

ESPN NBA insider Tim Bontemps threw out a scenario where Charlotte could get involved during The Hoop Collective podcast.

 "They have an interesting situation with the pick that went out for Terry Rozier. It's lottery-protected this year and unprotected in 2028. If I was the Miami Heat and went to the Charlotte Hornets and said, 'Hey, will you just let us make this pick unprotected next year?' Then you trade this year's pick after the draft. You could, in theory, then trade 2029, 2031, and 2033, and trade four first-round picks now. Which, if I was Charlotte and I got an unprotected first-round pick, I'd probably do that, especially with the new rules, and take my chances on it rather than waiting to see if you get a pick that's not in the lottery.”

Why on earth would the Hornets help Miami land Giannis?

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks around following the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

I get what Bontemps is getting at here in terms of the value of the pick in 2027 to some degree, but if you really think about it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If Miami lands Giannis, they more than likely aren't going to be picking in the lottery. So although it may become an unprotected pick, the value wouldn't be there. Why help a division rival land a superstar talent when it doesn't change the overall value of the pick?

That doesn't rule out Charlotte getting involved in one way or another, though. If Jeff Peterson can find a way to get plus value without sending anything to Miami, he'll get involved.