After two months of debate, whispers, and will-they-won’t-they about whether the Milwaukee Bucks would trade superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, it feels like we’ve finally reached the boiling point.
Less than a week before the NBA trade deadline, all signs point to the Bucks finally believing it might be best for both parties if they split before the end of the season. The Bucks were expected to try to look for a significant trade deadline acquisition to pair with the Greek centerpiece. Those aspirations have been dashed, however, by Antetokounmpo’s recent calf strain.
At 18-27 and barreling down to the bottom of a soft Eastern Conference, the Bucks are on the verge of a needed rebuild, and they could officially begin it in the next few days if they trade the former MVP.
While the usual suspects that have been linked to Antetokounmpo, like the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Golden State Warriors, are all expected to make their best offer, a surprise team from the shadows might have the best offer on the table for the reeling Bucks.
NBA insider Chris Haynes, along with other sources, believes that the Atlanta Hawks, who recently traded former face of the franchise Trae Young to Washington, are a team to watch as the Antetokounmpo market develops.
The Hawks have a young, exciting squad, and the addition of a superstar like Antetokounmpo could be the final piece that pushes them from frisky underdog to full-fledged title contender in an open Eastern Conference.
And when it comes to the Bucks looking towards the future, the Hawks might have the greatest asset of all in the trade discussions.
The New Orleans Pelicans traded the Hawks their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which, at the moment, gives them the third-best odds in the lottery. Freshman prospects Cameron Boozer (Duke), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) are all looked at as potential generational talents, so getting a top-three selection is paramount for the teams trying to launch their future.
Milluwake, seventh currently in lottery odds, could possibly dream of grabbing two of the “Big 3” freshmen in a world where the team falls even further down the standings without their best player.
Although other teams can offer better current players than the Hawks, that might not matter if the Bucks are enamored of the upcoming prospect class that has turned heads in college basketball.
Flashier franchises are vying for Antetokounmpo. But the Hawks might swoop down from the skies and snatch him right under the noses of the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Newsweek