Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons Debate Whether Or Not Atlanta Is A Sneaky Team To Make A Deal For Giannis This Summer

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? 

That was a topic that Bill Simmons and NBA analyst Zach Lowe debated on his most recent show, as they both picked Atlanta as a sneaky team to watch for this offseason.

Simmons: "I had someone ask me, why isn't Atlanta in the Giannis convo? Jalen Johnson is awesome, he is on their team, everyone got hurt and forgets he did not play the second half of the year and as a centerpiece of a trade, that is a really good center piece, they don't have their next couple of picks, but they have their picks later, it would be pretty easy for them to put something together and turn it into Trae (Young) and Giannis and keep Giannis in the East. The question was, why wouldn't Atlanta take a swing?"

Lowe: "I think if you are the Bucks, it has to be what else is there for us other than Jalen Johnson, who I believe is from Milwaukee, so what is the way more? They have the Lakers pick and they have an extra pick, it is like the second best from New Orleans and Milwaukee."

Simmons brought up Atlanta potentially adding in Zaccharie Risacher to the deal to go along with Johnson and picks and Lowe had this to say:

"That feels like where the rubber meets the road and where something could get off the ground is Risacher. I think Milwaukee has to sit down and think about it. That is an offer that teams can beat, but that is an offer that you have to beat, it is not a nothing offer."