After Damian Lillard tore his Achilles in the 2025 postseason, Giannis Antetokounmpo became the most exciting trade asset in recent memory. Many teams can cobble together impressive trade packages for the Greek Freak, but none rival what the Hawks can give the bucks: the ability to control their own destiny.
The Hawks currently own a 2026 first-round pick swap with the rights to the best pick between the Pelicans and Bucks, while Milwaukee gets the worse pick. With Lillard waived and Antetokounmpo all but gone, the Bucks are positioned to be one of the worst teams in the league next season. This makes their 2026 pick a tantalizing asset for the Hawks.
However, the 2026 pick is most powerful if the Bucks own the rights to it. If the bucks own their pick next season, they can embrace tanking as they will reap the rewards of having a bad team. However, if the Hawks hold the Bucks' pick, the Bucks have no incentive to tank, which would reduce the value of the pick for the Hawks and disrupt the natural tanking cycle for the Bucks.
Trading Antetokounmpo for the Bucks' pick is a win-win others can't beat
After trading the house for Jrue Holiday, the Bucks find themselves with essentially no more first round picks this decade. This is problematic for a team that just waived Lillard and has no apparent way to assemble a competitive roster.
Over the next five years, the Bucks first-round picks are controlled by the Hawks (2026), Pelicans (2027), Trail Blazers (2028, 2030), and Wizards (2029). For the Bucks to embrace tanking, they need to trade for the rights to some of these picks.
Luckily for the Bucks, there are two win-win trades that could earn Milwaukee the rights to three of these five picks. The first is to trade Antetokounmpo for Atlanta's rights to the 2026 swap and additional trade assets. In this trade, the Bucks will likely get a return of at least one of Atlanta's premier young players: Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and/or Zaccharie Risacher. The Bucks will also demand additional draft capital from the Hawks to help bolster Milwaukee's rebuild.
The second trade the Bucks could make would be to trade recently acquired center Myles Turner for the rights to their picks, either from Portland or New Orleans. Turner is the ultimate winning player, providing elite rim protection and spacing the floor on offense. His play style would be the perfect compliment for Zion Williamson, and his veteran leadership and Finals experience would be an ideal addition to a young Portland team angling to compete soon.
Barring a miracle, the Bucks cannot form a competitive roster with their depleted draft assets after losing their 2021 Finals-winning supporting cast. However, the Bucks have a brief window this offseason to reverse their fortune. The Hawks would be favorites to win the Finals with Antetokounmpo, and the Bucks would gain the ability to reap the rewards of tanking and young talent to build their new team around.
With the surplus of young talent and the rights to Milwaukee’s first next season, the Hawks are in prime position to bring Antetokounmpo to Atlanta and become perennial title contenders.