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Charlotte's path to improvement in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated May 1, 2025 3:10 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks are a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade request away from falling into the dregs of the league with the Charlotte Hornets of the world. Milwaukee is capped-out, asset-poor, talent-bereft, and held together by Giannis' ability to run through NBA defenses like the Terminator.

The veteran power forward is coming off one of the most impressive seasons of his illustrious career, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on a ludicrous 60.1 shooting percentage. The Greek Freak's development from gangly teenager to Gen-Z Shaquille O'Neal with more perimeter creation skills is a testament to Milwaukee's coaching and scouting staffs, Giannis' strong will, and a never before seen, likely to never be seen again developmental arc.

However, the franchise is at a crossroads. Since winning the NBA title in 2021, the Bucks have advanced past the first round one time. Milwaukee has fallen prey to the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs two years running, and they have no real avenues to improve the aging solar system around the sun it revolves.

As crazy as it may seem, Milwaukee's best path forward could be to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Charlotte could find themselves as beneficiaries of a deal.

Jeff Peterson is primed to work his magic again

Superstar trades in the NBA have never been more complicated. Due to the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, franchises across the Association have been forced to flex their creative muscles when swapping assets for franchise-changing talent.

Rarely is there a trade for a Giannis-level talent (in the history of the sport), and even rarer is one that only involves two teams. Recent trades for star level talents like Jimmy Butler, Luka Doncic, Karl Anthony-Towns, and De'Aaron Fox have all involved multiple franchises.

A third team is often used as an intermediary to send picks, expiring contracts, young players, and other assets in order to thread the needle that is the salary cap. In a potential Giannis deal, Charlotte is poised to strike and continue accruing talent in their attempt to become a 'premier' franchise.

The Hornets have movable, expiring contracts (Jusuf Nurkic and Josh Okogie if Charlotte chooses to guarantee his contract for 2025-26 come to mind) and a creative brainiac of a general manager to act as that vessel to get a Giannis deal done. If the Rockets move for Giannis, acquiring one of Jabari Smith Jr. or Tari Eason as a tax to help facilitate the deal would be an absolute coup for Charlotte.

If The Thunder flame out in the NBA playoffs and make a tectonic plate-shaking move for Giannis, the Queen City would actively welcome Isaiah Joe or Aaron Wiggins as a sweetener to assist in getting the deal done.

These are all hypothetical scenarios, but young, talented players get traded as a part of deals like this more often than one thinks.

For example, Milwaukee traded AJ Johnson to Washington in the Khris Middleton deal. Johnson blossomed in an expanded role as a Wizard ahead of the rookie's first offseason as an NBA professional. Davion Mitchell, a pending free agent, balled out for the Heat in the Play-In Tournament after getting sent to Miami from Toronto in the Jimmy Butler deal.

For as unlikely as a Giannis trade is in reality, it is even more unlikely that Charlotte will be able to add a long-term piece to their roster by acting as an intermediary in said trade. However, Jeff Peterson has proven in the past that he's willing to get in the mix on deals like this to improve the Hornets' asset and talent base, and if the Greek Freak asks out, Peterson will assuredly be working the phones to help get a deal done.