The Atlanta Hawks could quietly possess the most important assets in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes. If they never bother putting them on the negotiating table, though, then trade talks between them and the Milwaukee Bucks will never get off the ground.
That's the problem recently presented on the Third Apron Podcast, where the hosts opined that Atlanta probably can't justify coughing up either breakout forward Jalen Johnson or the wildly attractive 2026 first-round pick at their disposal (the more favorable of New Orleans' or Milwaukee's). And that, in turn, left the hosts trying to assemble an offer that the Bucks might legitimately deem insulting.
This feels like the kind of offer you'd make after a long night of making less-than-stellar life decisions. Or maybe it's a sneaky way to get yourself taken off of someone's holiday card list and therefore have one less than you need to send.
Either way, this ain't getting Giannis. And the hosts, it's worth noting, basically admitted as much.
Look, there are ways to try polishing up what's being offered. Young is in the heart of his prime, has four All-Star selections under his belt, and routinely possesses some of the league's best points-plus-assists averages. Risacher was last summer's No. 1 pick and last season's Rookie of the Year runner-up. And even the less favorable pick from the Bucks and Pelicans could land pretty high up the board.
Dig anywhere beneath the surface of this sales pitch, though, and it all falls apart in a hurry.
Young's offensive value is almost totally undone by his defensive deficiencies, and he'd arrive with both a bloated salary ($46 million, per Spotrac) and an uncertain future (player option for next season). Risacher's Rookie of the Year finish feels a lot less impressive when you remember last season's freshman class was not at all well-regarded.
And if Atlanta actually tried to build an Antetokounmpo offer around these two, it would take a lot more draft capital than this.
The Hawks should still make a call to the Bucks, obviously. That's true for most teams. The defense-first identity they've developed in Young's absence could grow even more disruptive with Antetokounmpo, a 6'11" wrecking-ball stopper who can envelop ball-handlers and humble anyone willing to attack him at the rim.
He'd also up Atlanta's potency in the open court and give it a clear focus for half-court trips. Spacing would get tight, but the Hawks might have enough limbs, explosion, and energy that it wouldn't matter much. Pick-and-rolls between Johnson and Antetokounmpo would be can't-miss theater.
Antetokounmpo could be awesome for Atlanta. That's why the Hawks should consider making a real offer—not the laughable one listed above.