Nov 23, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Hornets? NBA insider isn't ruling it out

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 12, 2025 1:37 PM ET

Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn't requested a trade out of Milwaukee just yet, but the general belief around the NBA is that he will sooner rather than later. All NBA teams' fans start wondering when things like this happen, even when it's not realistic. The Charlotte Hornets fan base is guilty of it sometimes, too.

However, this may not be a delusion of grandeur. It might seem far-fetched to think of the Hornets pulling off a genuine, franchise-altering blockbuster for Antetokounmpo, a former MVP and NBA champion. However, insider Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show that it might not be all that crazy.

He said that “every team in the NBA will certainly do their due diligence," before expounding that some bottom-dwelling teams might go for it. "Not the Philadelphia’s, not the…I’m saying teams that are at the bottom of the standings. Even they’re going to look into a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo and see can we bring him in?" Charania said.

"I think every team in the NBA is gonna do their due diligence on Giannis Antetokounmpo..

He wants to compete for championships"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive https://t.co/tCSd11DUE4 pic.twitter.com/olNSq4zV3M
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 12, 2025

The reporter added, "He has the ability, even in Milwaukee if he stays there, he has the ability to make them a playoff contender year in and year out just because of how great he is as a player. The question is for him…he wants to compete for championships. He wants to be in the best long-term, sustained place where he can compete for a second championship.”

That may or may not mean Charlotte. Charania didn't name names, but the Hornets are a basement-dweller that might be considering a trade. It would be costly. Can the Hornets even afford that? Sure, but it would cost an incredible amount.

Salary-matching alone would be a nightmare. As the most expensive and probably most valuable player, LaMelo Ball would undoubtedly be Milwaukee's centerpiece in this trade. But that's not all. To match salaries, the Hornets would need to throw in Josh Green. They could also do it with Brandon Miller, but one would think the Hornets would aim to keep one of their two best and youngest players.

That doesn't remotely get Milwaukee to pick up the phone, though. The lottery will determine how valuable this year's pick is, but it and several others are going to be traded in this hypothetical, too. They'd probably need to add in the 2027 Dallas pick, the 2030 Los Angeles pick, and at least one more of their own first-round picks in that time frame.

They may also have to throw in some second-round picks to really sweeten the deal. Regardless, it would be incredibly costly, but it's not totally outside the realm of possibility, especially if the Hornets win the lottery today.