Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes just got very interesting for the Hawks

This feels like it could be the beginning of the end for Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. If he decides he wants out, the Bucks almost have no choice but to oblige, given the current state of their roster is not good enough to compete for a championship while Lillard’s contract is still on the books.

Teams around the league have been circling the Bucks like sharks in the water waiting for this moment. Every competitive team will be interested in adding the two-time MVP and a top-five player in the NBA. However, the Hawks have a pretty considerable leg up on the competition, thanks to a trade they made on draft night with the New Orleans Pelicans.

In the pursuit of a championship, the Bucks traded away nearly all of their future first-round picks, one of which is now in Atlanta’s hands. In order to move up just 10 spots in the draft, the Pelicans traded the Hawks a 2026 unprotected first round pick, more favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee. If the Bucks decide to trade Antetokounmpo, Atlanta now has something nobody else can offer, their own first-round pick next season, or perhaps even better, New Orleans’ first-round pick.

Additionally, the Hawks could put together a helluva package of young, talented players that few other teams could match. Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher should all pique the interest of the Bucks, which is why the Hawks currently have the best odds of any team at landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if he’s traded this summer.

In just a matter of weeks, new Hawks GM Onsi Saleh has made Atlanta a legitimate force in the Eastern Conference, and now he’s put the club in a position to potentially make what would be by far the biggest trade in franchise history.