How Hawks Can Ruin Heat and Celtics' Plans By Trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Atlanta Hawks took a positive step forward this past season, winning 46 games to avoid the play-in tournament. The team initially shocked the Knicks early in their first-round matchup, before New York embarked on its historic run to the championship.
Emboldened, the Hawks may push in some chips to pursue the top trade target on the market, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Antetokounmpo saga with the Bucks inches ever closer to resolution, likely to be decided ahead of the first night of the NBA draft (June 23). B/R has ranked the top potential trade packages.
Do the Hawks have enough to steal the two-time NBA MVP from competitors such as the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics?
Full Trade Details: Antetokounmpo
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Atlanta Hawks receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr., $3 million trade exception
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Nos. 8 and 23, 2029 first-round pick, $2.4 million trade exception
Why the Atlanta Hawks Do It
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It's not complicated. The Hawks add one of the NBA's best players to a talented, hungry, young roster already capable of competing at a high level.
Atlanta has a fascinating team, with much of its shot creation from the forward position. First-time All-Star Jalen Johnson broke out. Dyson Daniels, though not a great shooter, is an elite defender and a Josh Hart-like playmaker. Nickeil Alexander-Walker gets better every year, and Onyeka Okongwu plays bigger than his size.
With Antetokounmpo, the Hawks level up in the East with early playoff hero CJ McCollum back short-term at about $20 million. The team would need to add quality free-agent depth with its non-taxpayer mid-level exception (projected at $15 million) and bi-annual exception ($5.5 million).
The Hawks take in Jackson for guard depth, can re-sign Jock Landale and a couple of vets at the minimum to flesh out an under-tax roster—which is typically where the franchise stops spending annually.
The price for Antetokounmpo may be steep, including No. 8 in the upcoming draft and an unprotected 2029 selection, but Atlanta needs to beat out several competing offers. Fighting for top-11 pick protection in 2029 might be wise, but not if it scuttles a deal.
As for players, the Hawks give up the 2024 No. 1 overall pick in Risacher, a key deadline acquisition in Kuminga, a shooting reserve in Kispert, and Hield's flexible contract with only $3 million guaranteed for 2026-27.
The deal must be agreed to before the draft so that the Hawks can pick on the Bucks' behalf. After the NBA's moratorium on July 6, the trade is completed, with the Hawks triggering a first-apron hard cap of about $200.5 million by using the expanded traded-player exception involving Kuminga, Kispert, and Risacher to acquire Antetokounmpo and Jackson.
The franchise receives a new standard traded player exception for the guaranteed portion of Hield's contract.
Why the Milwaukee Bucks Do It
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Under the working assumption that Antetokounmpo doesn't intend to extend with Milwaukee but will green-light one with the Hawks, the Bucks need to find the deal they believe in.
Do the Hawks have the best package? They certainly have the highest pick from the Antetokounmpo contenders to offer at No. 8. Per B/R's mock draft from expert Jonathan Wasserman, players like Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Brayden Burries (Arizona), Nate Ament (Tennessee), and many other quality prospects should be available for the Bucks at Atlanta's spot.
Risacher was among the best rookies in 2024-25, but his scoring dipped from 12.6 to 9.6 points per game as a sophomore. He shot well from three-point range (36.8 percent), but only started 46 games as the team shifted its focus to prioritize other players like Johnson, Daniels, Alexander-Walker, and Kuminga. The Bucks would better be able to feature and nurture the French scoring forward.
Kuminga, on an expiring contract, provides another offensive-minded forward who averaged 16.1 points per game in his best season (2022-23) with the Golden State Warriors. He and Risacher could ultimately fill out the wings for several years in Milwaukee. Kispert is solid; Hield can be flipped again in trade, kept, or let go with just $3 million of his $9.7 million guaranteed.
Including their No. 10 selection, the Bucks would have 16 players upon waiving Hield. However, several others have options before July, including Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, and Jericho Sims. Also, Pete Nance's minimum-level salary isn't guaranteed.
Milwaukee triggers a first-apron hard cap by using the expanded traded player exception from Antetokounmpo to take in the four Hawks, setting a new standard for a traded player for Jackson, whom the team opts in to trade to Atlanta. The Bucks finish well below the luxury tax, potentially under the cap, depending on the various player-option decisions.
As the franchise continues to retool, other players could become available, such as Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and Bobby Portis. Onyeka Okongwu for Turner could be folded into an Antetokounmpo trade.
The Bucks would be responsible for Turner's $8.2 million trade bonus, pushing his 2026-27 cap figure to $30.7 million, potentially limiting how the Hawks can flesh out the rest of their roster under the aprons with Antetokounmpo and Turner.
Whether the Hawks have the winning offer is up to the Bucks, but don't sleep on the immediate draft compensation.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X @EricPincus and Bluesky.
