CHICAGO – One of the more pivotal offseasons in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks has begun in earnest now that the NBA draft order was set May 10, and the organization and rival teams have a better idea of the assets on hand to potentially pry away Giannis Antetokounmpo after 13 seasons.
Offers to the Bucks, which began piling up during the season in advance of the February trade deadline, will be resubmitted or refurbished, and co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy and Dee Haslam will have to make a call on the immediate direction of the franchise.
“Listen, Jimmy, Wes, myself, Taylor [Jenkins], we’re all aligned on how we want to approach this,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said at the NBA draft lottery on May 10. “We have an unbelievable opportunity with this [No. 10] pick, with our roster, with other assets that we have, with the contracts that we have under [control] we have to really have parallel paths. We talked about this [on April 7], our job is to figure out how to compete, to win, to get better, we want to build on [the] lost year. We have a lot of opportunities to do that.”
Multiple league sources told the Journal Sentinel that while 29 other teams would of course be “interested” in Antetokounmpo, there may be about 10 teams that could truly make a run at the two-time MVP.
Heading into the February trade deadline, team sources maintained to the Journal Sentinel that any potential deal for the star would require “everything” in terms of young players and future draft assets. If the Bucks maintain such a firm stance on a big return, it might be more indicative of the team’s willingness to continue to retool around its star.
Many teams leaked their offers, or their interest, to the Bucks following the trade deadline and several more suitors were revealed after the season. Horst typically keeps major deals very, very quiet, however, so it’s fair to wonder which team(s) might truly have a chance at Antetokounmpo.
Here’s a rundown of who might be interested, and what the Bucks may be interested in hearing about:
Young players and draft picks
Atlanta Hawks
The headline of a deal with the Hawks would have to be for 24-year-old Wausau native Jalen Johnson, who is coming off his first all-star season following his fifth year in the league.
Rich Paul, chief executive officer and founder of Klutch Sports Group, even suggested the Bucks trade Antetokounmpo for his client during the season.Johnson is also under contract through 2030 at $30 million annually. Forward Jonathan Kuminga (team option for $24 million) also has been an interesting prospect for the Bucks front office and would represent a sizable expiring deal if the team didn’t want to extend him.
Atlanta also holds the rights to the Bucks’ 2026 first-round draft pick swap through a separate deal with New Orleans. So, the Hawks are picking No. 8.
Beyond that, the Hawks will get the lesser of the Pelicans and Bucks picks in the 2027 draft provided they don’t both land in the top-four selections. Atlanta also owns its own picks from 2029-33, and have some considerations and swaps on others.
Cleveland Cavaliers
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Cleveland called Milwaukee about Antetokounmpo’s availability days before the deadline, and in March ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne added the Bucks “seemed interested” in the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley.Mobley, 25, already is slated to make $50 million next season – just eight million less than Antetokounmpo. He was the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year and an all-star but did not follow that up with an improved season statistically this season. Perhaps guard Jaylon Tyson (24 years old, 44% 3-point shooter) would be an appealing secondary young player for the Bucks.
The Cavaliers have unprotected picks available from 2030-33.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets began the year losing point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn knee ligament and ended it with Kevin Durant sidelined in a first-round playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Do the Rockets think they need to see their team play with VanVleet, or are they ready to continue to punt on their younger players and pair Durant with Antetokounmpo?
Center Alperen Şengün (24 years old, $35.6 million) or power forward Jabari Smith Jr. (23, $23.6 million) would likely have to head to Milwaukee, along with either guard Amen Thompson (24, $12.2 million) or Reed Sheppard (22, $11.1 million). Houston holds a 2027 first-round pick from Phoenix, as well as its own in 2028 and 2030-33. The Rockets also have several more first-round selections with conditions or swaps attached.
Miami Heat
The Heat would likely dangle Whitnall High School alumnus and all-star Tyler Herro and his $33 million expiring contract while the Bucks would probably also require at least center Kel’el Ware (22 years old) and point guard Kasparas Jakučionis (20), along with a combination of Heat first-round picks in 2026 and 2029-33.
Orlando Magic
League sources told Hoops Hype, a USA TODAY Network property, that the Magic was one of many teams to inquire about Antetokounmpo’s availability last season. Former Bucks general manager John Hammond, who drafted Antetokounmpo in 2013, is a senior advisor of basketball operations for the Magic and still holds heavy influence in personnel decisions.
The Magic fired head coach Jamahl Mosley, so how that coach will view the roster has yet to be determined. One would think one-time all-star Paolo Banchero (24 years old, $41.2 million) and guard Anthony Black (23 years old, $10 million) would be part of a potential package to entice the Bucks.
In terms of draft capital, Orlando has unprotected 2027, 2031-33 picks to use.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Bucks traded swap rights for their 2028 and 2030 first-round draft picks, as well as their 2029 first-round pick, to the Trail Blazers in their 2023 deal for Damian Lillard.
Even though Portland has already leveraged its swap rights in 2028 with another trade, it maintained its “most favorable” position in the draft order.
If the Bucks have any desire in reacquiring control of those future draft picks, they would want to loop the Trail Blazers into a deal directly for Antetokounmpo, or as part of a multi-team deal.
Horst has shown an affinity for undersized guards, so 6-foot-3 Sterling “Scoot” Henderson (22 years old) could be a centerpiece in any player return. Shaedon Sharpe, 23, and Toumani Camara (26) could also be appealing young players for the Bucks.
Toronto Raptors
The Bucks would probably want 25-year-old Scottie Barnes, who is on a maximum contract through the 2029-30 season as the centerpiece of any deal but Barnes flashed some real potential as a leading man during the Raptors’ playoff season. Maybe guard R.J. Barrett (26 years old, $29.6 million next season) would be appealing, but forward Collin Murray-Boyles (21, $6.6 million) would be for sure in a rebuild.
The Raptors also own their own picks from 2026-33 so they could also fit in the following category of draft-pick heavy teams.
Draft-pick heavy teams
Boston Celtics
The Celtics, under current executive of the year Brad Stevens, have deftly built and rebuilt their teams around the core duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown since 2018 and have been wildly successful in doing so.
To acquire Antetokounmpo, the Celtics would have to trade either Tatum ($58.4 million salary in 2026-27) or Brown ($57 million) to the Bucks or to a third team. Both players are Celtics icons now, and Brown is 30 and Tatum is 28 and appears to have fully recovered from an Achilles tendon tear.
The Celtics do own nearly all their future first-round draft capital however, with their 2026 and 2027 and 2030-32 selections.
They do not, however, have any young, future all-star players of note. They do have solid role players in Green Bay native and former Stevens Point High School star Sam Hauser (29 years old, $10.8 million) and Payton Pritchard (29, $7.7 million).
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have a lot of young players but none who are particularly intriguing or look like stars on the make, but perhaps the Bucks would cherry pick one or two that they like. The Nets possess their own picks in 2026 (it fell to No. 6) and 2029-33, as well as first-rounders from New York (2027, 2029, 2031) and Denver (2032). The Nets also possess other picks with conditions or swap rights attached.
Charlotte Hornets
Under former Bucks assistant Charles Lee, the Hornets had an exciting end-of-season and play-in run. Any deal for Antetokounmpo likely would have to include LaMelo Ball, who is on a max deal through 2028-29. Forward Miles Bridges would be an expiring deal for $22.8 million next season as well, though the Bucks maybe would press for former lottery picks Brandon Miller (25, $15 million) or even rookie of the year runner-up, Milwaukee native Kon Knueppel.
The Hornets have a late lottery pick this season, as well as their own picks from 2027-33 and incoming 2027 picks from Dallas and Miami and a 2029 from Cleveland (all with conditions).
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have few desirable players, as the Bucks would have to take on an injured Jimmy Butler and his $56.8 million deal, or Draymond Green’s expiring $27.6 million (and likely re-route him to a third team) along with injured guard Moses Moody ($12.5 million) and Greenfield native Brandin Podziemski ($5.6 million) to go with a combination of unprotected draft picks from 2026-29 or 2031-33.
Los Angeles Clippers
Any deal with Los Angeles would have to involve Kawhi Leonard’s expiring $50 million deal, either by moving him to the Bucks or re-routing him to a third team for additional players and draft capital. The Clippers have no young talent to move but do own some first-round picks (2026 and 2029 from Indiana and their own from 2030-33).
The Clippers entered the lottery on May 10 via a trade with Indiana and won the No. 5 pick.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers do not have any young players the Bucks would want, as Austin Reaves is entering his age-28 season and is on the verge of a maximum contract. The Lakers possess their 2026, 2028 and 2030-33 first round picks. They have other picks with conditions attached.
Feels like a stretch
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as their new general manager and the architect of the 2019 champion Toronto Raptors has long coveted Antetokounmpo. Current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd of course has an affinity for his former player.
Outside of 20-year-old rookie of the year Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks don’t have any young players with great appeal however. Dallas does have aging stars Kyrie Irving (34 years old, $39.4 million) and Klay Thompson (36, $17.4 million) and first-round picks in 2026 and 2031-33 and the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2029 selection to trade.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons finished last season as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference and have a decision to make on restricted free agent big man Jalen Duren (23 years old). Though Antetokounmpo is a clear fit for the Pistons with point guard Cade Cunningham, would the Bucks want Duren back in a sign-and-trade situation?
The Bucks would also likely be interested in young wings Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, along with the Pistons future draft cache from 2026-33. After a 60-win season, will the Pistons want to rip out core young pieces in a “win now” move?
Minnesota Timberwolves
Antetokounmpo has always been intrigued by playing with scoring guards, and being paired with the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards was appealing per The Athletic.
Outside of Edwards, though, the Timberwolves are bereft of young talent. Forward Jaden McDaniels is 26 would have to be a centerpiece of any deal and Minnesota has only an unprotected 2028 first-round pick to wield as well (others have conditions or swaps attached to them). Perhaps a sign-and-trade for guard Ayo Dosunmu would have to be part of a deal as well.
New York Knicks
The Knicks and Bucks held superficial trade conversations about Antetokounmpo last August (Mikal Bridges was ineligible to be dealt at that time because of a recent contract extension) and the Knicks have been interested in the Bucks star for years.
There is a feeling around the league owner James Dolan would fire head coach Mike Brown after just one season if the team does not at least reach the NBA Finals, if not win the title, and exert more roster-building influence than in recent years.
In terms of assets, time and maturing contract extensions have crept in. The team has no promising young players of note, and center Karl-Anthony Towns (31 years old, $57 million) will likely not make another all-star team outside of New York and will require a contract extension. OG Anunoby (29, $42.5 million), Bridges (30, $33.4 million) and Josh Hart (31, $20.9 million) have never made all-star teams. Even point guard Jalen Brunson (30, $37.7 million), widely considered untouchable in trade talks, has shown severe flaws in playoff series.
The Knicks own their first-round pick this season, along with 2030 and 2032-33.
San Antonio Spurs
Long rumored to be a potential match for Antetokounmpo, largely because of a cache of future draft picks, the Spurs are a 62-win team this season and currently playing in the second round of the playoffs.
The Spurs do not own a 2026 first round pick, but they have a 2027 from Atlanta and possess their own from 2029-30 and 2032-33. They also have picks with conditions and swap rules.
Probably passing on Giannis
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls hired a new head of basketball operations in Bryson Graham, and the 39-year-old said his team is in a rebuild and is not on the cusp of championship contention. Even though Chicago has two first-round picks in this draft and an intriguing young player in Mataz Buzelis, the Bulls are not in the “win now” window to mortgage everything for Antetokounmpo.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are in worse shape than the Bucks in terms of future assets, as they’ve traded out their first-round picks through 2032 already. They could offer the Bucks a swap in 2031 and a 2033 pick. Maybe Peyton Watson (a restricted free agent) could be appealing for the Bucks as a returning young player, but the Nuggets are fairly expensive and veteran-laden.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending-champion Thunder is once again the best team in the NBA and a favorite to win the 2026 title as well, and it has three maximum players on their roster for next season in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren. On one hand, it just doesn’t make much sense for such a solid championship core to be broken up and get older.
The Thunder has a ton of future draft assets, however, and already is running into a roster crunch with two first-round draft picks this year – including the No. 12 pick. So, while Oklahoma City may not be a final destination for Antetokounmpo, it would make sense for the Bucks to try and loop the Thunder in as an extra team for draft capital.
Utah Jazz
Similar to Washington, it appears the Jazz are done tanking after acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis last season. Jackson has history with new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins, and the Jazz would likely have to move him along with either Keyonte George or Ace Bailey, to go with picks from 2029-33. The Jazz do possess other future picks with conditions attached.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards appear to be done tanking after trading for former all-stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis during the season, but unless they’re willing to move Davis to a third team to facilitate the arrival of Antetokounmpo, it feels as if they’ve made their choice of big man.
Washington won the top overall pick in 2026 and own in 2027 and 2029-33. It has other picks with conditions attached as well.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destinations following NBA draft lottery
Reporting by Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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