Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea To Pair Giannis Antetokounmpo With All-Star Point Guard

The Milwaukee Bucks enter the 2025 offseason under more pressure than perhaps any other NBA team.

Keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo content to stay in Milwaukee despite Damian Lillard's Achilles injury and limited assets to improve the roster isn't going to be easy. Rival teams will undoubtedly keep calling about Antetokounmpo's availability, as the two-time MVP is still one of the three best players in the world.

The Bucks don't have the ammunition to go out and get another superstar, but they may have just enough to secure an All-Star like Trae Young given his contract status moving forward.

We've come up with a three-team deal that would allow the Bucks to pair Young with Antetokounmpo, keep themselves in the playoff hunt and satisfy the Atlanta Hawks with enough players and picks to convince them to move on from their franchise point guard.

Spoiler alert: They'll need help from a third team.

Full Trade Scenario

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This trade would pair Giannis Antetokounmpo with Trae Young rather than Damian Lillard.

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: 

• PG Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks Receive: 

• G Jordan Poole 

• G Marcus Smart

• G Andre Jackson Jr.

• F Tyler Smith

• 2031 first-round pick (unprotected via Bucks)

• 2026 first-round pick swap rights (via Bucks/Pelicans)

• 2030 first-round pick swap rights (via Bucks/Blazers)

Washington Wizards Receive:

• PG Damian Lillard

• 2025 second-round pick (No. 47 overall via Bucks)

• 2031 second-round pick (via Bucks)

The Wizards serve as a facilitating partner here. The Hawks will want to be competitive in 2025-26, as the San Antonio Spurs have the right to swap first-round picks with them in 2026. As a result, they don't make sense as a landing spot for Lillard given his injury recovery timeline. Washington is still very much in a rebuild and can be patient with Lillard, who has two years remaining on his contract.

The swap rights owed to Atlanta from Milwaukee would be the second-most favorable between the Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans in 2026 and second-most favorable between the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers in 2030. The Hawks agreed to similar swap rights in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers involving De'Andre Hunter at the 2025 trade deadline.

Why The Milwaukee Bucks Do It

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Hawk guard Trae Young

The Milwaukee Bucks need a healthy running mate for Giannis Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard expected to miss most (if not all) of the 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles.

Trading for Trae Young would both accomplish that goal and help financially to improve the roster around the two All-Stars.

Young is 26 and should just be entering his prime. The four-time All-Star is coming off a season where he led the NBA in assists (11.6) to go along with 24.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Young has unlimited range with a similar average shot distance to Lillard (17.3 feet compared to 18.5), which would keep the floor spread for Antetokounmpo to attack the basket. Young is a better passer than Lillard, so he could keep feeding Antetokounmpo a healthy dose of lobs and pocket passes while he bullies his way into the paint.

Milwaukee finished 12th overall in defense last season and can help cover for Young's deficiencies on that end, especially if they can re-sign Brook Lopez in free agency.

This deal would save the Bucks $12.3 million, putting them roughly $41 million below the first tax apron. They'd have more money available to re-sign Lopez and Bobby Portis if the latter turns down his $13.4 million player option.

The Bucks would still have access to the full $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $5.1 million bi-annual exception to improve the roster around Antetokounmpo, Young, Kyle Kuzma, Lopez, Portis, Pat Connaughton (player option), Kevin Porter Jr. (player option), AJ Green and others.

This trade would keep the Bucks competitive in a weak East next season and give Antetokounmpo reason to stay in Milwaukee.

Why the Atlanta Hawks Do It

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Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Wizards guard Jordan Poole

Trying to determine Trae Young's trade value is tricky.

The All-Star point guard is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract at just under $46 million and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Unless he signs an extension this offseason, that could hurt his value in potential trades.

The Atlanta Hawks can offer Young a four-year extension worth up to $229 million this offseason, but will they want to? As good as Young is, that's over $57 million per season for a player who's only made an All-NBA team once in his seven seasons. Atlanta also needs to extend Dyson Daniels, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract.

As ESPN's Bobby Marks wrote, "Unless Young is willing to compromise on his next contract (at three years, $120 million, for example), it is hard to see the Hawks writing a $229 million check to the 26-year-old All-Star."

Trading Young in this deal would bring back win-now talent at the guard positions, add a few prospects into the mix and deliver some valuable draft capital as well.

Jordan Poole is quietly coming off the best season of his career. The 25-year-old averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in just 29.4 minutes per game while shooting 37.8 percent from three. He's set to make less than $66 million over the next two seasons combined, which is close to what Young would earn annually on a new max deal.

Smart, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year, would be the perfect mentor for Daniels, and he could also run point guard for the second unit. He's on an expiring $21.6 million contract that will run out at the same time Daniels' next deal will begin.

Jackson, 23, is already a premier defender, while Smith, 20, shot 43.3 percent from three as a rookie last season.

The Hawks should be thrilled to get an unprotected first from the Bucks in 2031 when Antetokounmpo will be 36. They'd also get swap rights in 2026 and 2030, potentially moving their own first-round picks further up the board.

If Atlanta is uncomfortable giving Young a max contract moving forward, this trade would bring a nice balance of picks and players back in return.

Why The Washington Wizards Do It

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Wizards center Alex Sarr and Bucks guard Damian Lillard

The Washington Wizards can play the long game here.

Trading for Damian Lillard won't help them win games in 2025-26, but that's kind of the goal for a team in rebuild mode. Instead, the plan would be for Lillard to serve as a mentor and extension of the coaching staff for a year while rehabbing, sharing his knowledge and experience with this young Washington roster.

This trade would set the Wizards up for all kinds of options next summer, when they may want to be far more competitive.

Going into the 2026-27 season, Lillard will be on an expiring $58.5 million contract, provided that he picks up his player option. That would leave Washington with four intriguing options:

• Lillard opts in and stays with the Wizards, who are now trying to win.

• Lillard opts in and Washington shops him to a team needing a point guard or wanting a large expiring contract.

• Lillard opts out, opening nearly $60 million in financial flexibility.

• Lillard opts out and re-signs on a multi-year deal at a lower starting number.

For their efforts in helping to facilitate the deal, the Wizards collect a second-round pick in 2025 (No. 47 overall, via the Detroit Pistons from the Milwaukee Bucks) and get a 2031 second-round pick from the Bucks as well. Washington could ask for Andre Jackson Jr. and/or Tyler Smith instead if they'd rather have prospects over picks.

Assuming the Wizards can stay patient for a year, this trade could pay huge dividends for them next summer.