Rich Paul, Jalen Johnson’s agent, recently said on his podcast that the Milwaukee Bucks should try to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo for the star Atlanta Hawks forward. His logic was simple: Johnson is the best young player for the Bucks to rebuild around, and he’s from Milwaukee.
Rich Paul says the Bucks should ask for his client Jalen Johnson in a Giannis trade
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) December 9, 2025
“If I’m the Bucks, I’m looking at young player, high character, high talent, high IQ. I’m calling Atlanta. I want Jalen Johnson. He’s from Milwaukee”
(h/t @NBA__Courtside)pic.twitter.com/vVTSXsq8W6
The problem with these comments is that it is not Paul’s place to suggest this trade. Paul has a financial interest in Johnson’s career, yet poses this theory as if he’s just talking ball with a friend. Johnson is under contract for five more years as a Hawk, and the franchise has shown absolutely zero willingness to consider a trade for Johnson. Why is Paul suggesting this is a possibility?
Tampering in the NBA is a legal subject often misunderstood. Tampering is illegal only from the opposing team (i.e., the Bucks in Johnson’s case) or from a team representative, which can include players. Suggesting your client be traded to his hometown does not fall under tampering or an associated league violation, despite the questionable optics of the move.
Jalen Johnson is not on the move, but it is concerning Paul said this
Rich Paul is a very successful agent – the type of agent you’d want representing your kids. He is a fighter who works nonstop, and his clients almost always achieve their preferred outcome, whether financial or trade-related.
That’s why his comments raised eyebrows.
Paul is no stranger to using his leverage and media power to create chaos his client can find success in. While his determination is what make him such an effective agent, his client’s goals often interfere with the goals of the team and its fans.
The most clear example of this tendency can be seen by his most prominent client, LeBron James. Paul has enabled the “LeGM” phenomenon over the years, becoming involved in countless moves (or lack of moves) through strategic comments, such as his comments about Johnson.
Hopefully, this is the rare case of Paul simply making an off-handed remark about his client. These comments raise far too many questions for this interpretation to make sense, however.
To reiterate, there is no indication that Johnson is unhappy in the slightest regarding his situation in Atlanta, and the Hawks consider him untouchable in trade talks. He has stepped up as a leader this season with Trae Young sidelined, and in my eyes, it looks like Johnson is genuinely having fun out there. He seems to enjoy the company of his teammates on and off the court, and there have been zero incidents where his body language or media comments suggest he is unhappy.
But there’s no place like home. No matter what Atlanta does to satisfy Johnson, Milwaukee will always be his first home. If Paul’s comments are to be taken seriously, perhaps Jalen is getting homesick.