Are the Atlanta Hawks Trying To Position Themselves For A Shot At Trading For Giannis Antetokounmpo?

There is not a bigger offseason storyline than the potential trade of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks lost in the first round for the third straight season and the Bucks are depleted of resources, whether it is young players or draft picks. While there have been rumors around a Giannis trade for a few years, this feels like the first offseason where the rumors might have some legs to them.

In a report from ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, it sounds like Antetokounmpo is going to keep his options open this summer:

"The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise's third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.

Teams have approached the Bucks frequently over the years about the availability of Antetokounmpo as a normal exercise, and are expected to ramp up due diligence during combine week, according to league sources.

But any conversations surrounding the perennial All-NBA superstar and 2021 NBA champion start primarily with where he believes his long-term future lies, and whether there is a franchise outside of Milwaukee that is sensible for him."

Now it should be noted that Antetokounmpo has not asked for a trade and until he does, all talk of a trade is pure speculation. But if Milwaukee does seriously explore trading Giannis, could the Hawks be a legitimate option? Their rumored interest in several executives might make one think that they are at least trying to position themselves as a team that could make a move for Antetokounmpo.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported earlier this offseason that Hawks owner Tony Ressler has shown a significant interest in pursuing established agents to take over Atlanta’s front office. Former Hawks GM Danny Ferry has formally interviewed for Atlanta's president of basketball operations vacancy (who’s currently a consultant for the Spurs since December 2020) and while many will of course remember Ferry for why he left the Hawks, most won't remember that as the GM of the Hawks, he wanted to draft Giannis in 2013. Atlanta had the 17th pick in that draft, but Antetokounmpo went two picks before they could select him. Atlanta instead selected Dennis Schroeder.

From JR Radcliffe at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2021:

"What you may not know or remember from that draft was that the team with perhaps the most interest in Antetokounmpo was the Atlanta Hawks, a team then coached by current Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.

It's one of the biggest takeaways from ESPN writer Adrian Wojnarowski's "The Woj Pod" episode in 2020 looking specifically at The Giannis Draft.

When Antetokounmpo flew to New York for the 2013 draft, he didn't go directly to New York; first he stopped in Atlanta, where members of the Hawks had developed a relationship with Giorges Panou, one of Antetokounmpo's representatives in Greece, and fellow agent Alex Saratsis. It's where Antetokounmpo first met Atlanta's first-year coach Budenholzer, who of course, has been piloting the Bucks the past three seasons.

It was Antetokounmpo's first trip to the United States. Atlanta very badly wanted to draft him and had two picks in the first round, at Nos. 17 and 18. The organization went to great lengths to keep his visit (along with brother Thanasis) under wraps, insisting on back-door entrances and quiet on social media. Assistant GM Wes Wilcox said the club even discussed ways to get the brothers to their airport gate without walking through the concourses.

"At that point, no one knew he was coming except our owner and Bud and Kenny (Atkinson) and assistant GM Wes," said Danny Ferry, then director of basketball operations for the Hawks, on the podcast. "When he got there, I pulled the staff together and said this kid's here, I don't want anyone to know of our interest. ... He came to the arena and he walked into the arena. It was dark, he was with his brother. The joy that he had and the excitement, the energy he walked in there with. It was kind of his first wow, this is going to be my life. I'm going to play in places like this, living in America, playing in the best league in the world. He was just star-eyed. His eyes were almost watering, he was so excited to be in the United States and play basketball in the NBA."

Ferry showed a lot of interest in drafting Giannis in 2013. If he was hired by Atlanta, would he try to finally get the two-time MVP to come and play for the Hawks?

The latest rumor for the Hawks front office has them connected with Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, who also has a history with Antetokounmpo.