The Hawks Have Put Themselves In A Prime Position To Land Giannis Antetokounmpo In A Trade... If They Choose

The Hawks were the talk of the NBA on Monday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks have been the talk of the NBA on Tuesday morning. The Bucks shocked the world when they signed Pacers center Myles Turner away from Indiana, and then they shocked the world even further when they released star point guard Damian Lillard. The Bucks' signing Turner was a great move that made them better, but this team's backcourt is still a major issue, and the overall state of the roster is one that does not inspire confidence.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the focus of heavy trade speculation heading into the summer, but that had cooled and it seems that Giannis is going to stay with the Bucks. There has been no report suggesting he wants out, but if it gets to that point given the state of the Bucks roster and how few assets the Bucks have, one team has put itself in a prime position to land him.

That would be the Hawks.

The teams rumored to have the best trade package for Antetokounmpo have included Houston, San Antonio, and others, but in the past week, it is hard to find another team that has put themselves in a better position to land Antetokounmpo if he wants out, which he has certainly not signaled just yet.

Heading into the Summer, the Hawks were an intriguing team that could hop in the Giannis sweepstakes, but it would gut their roster and what remaining draft picks they had. In the last week, Atlanta has acquired Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard to their roster, but the best asset they acquired has not been a player. In an unbelievable move, the New Orleans Pelicans sent the Hawks an unprotected 2026 pick that is the most favorable of of Milwaukee and New Orleans. Now that the Hawks have that pick and the players they acquired via trade and free agency, they could make a deal for Antetokounmpo that would not gut their roster and still keep them among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. A deal for Antetokounmpo would likely require Jalen Johnson, the 2026 pick (plus two or three more), and Zaccharie Risacher, if not more. The Bucks could insist on having either Dyson Daniels or Onyeka Okongwu in the deal, which could be a breaking point for Atlanta.

With the moves the Hawks have made though, they could just stand pat.

That is the great thing about the work that Onsi Saleh and the front office have done. They could get involved in the Giannis sweepstakes if it comes to that point, but it is not a requirement. They have built a deep roster around Trae Young and given the injuries to stars like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton in the Eastern Conference, they could be a real threat to win the conference with the team they have. They still have three roster spots available and could build the deepest team in the conference with the right moves. With or without a potential trade for Antetokounmpo, the Hawks are in one of the strongest positions in the entire NBA and the new look front office deserves a lot of credit for that.

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