Giannis Antetokounmpo's Next Team is Obvious To Me

It finally sounds like Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are working toward a potential split. Reports indicate that the two sides recently met, and based on all the activity surrounding the organization over the past few weeks, there’s a growing belief that a divorce may be imminent. Brian Windhorst even reported that Giannis requested a trade during the summer, a request Milwaukee ultimately did not grant.

As a result, the next few days are likely to be filled with rumours and speculation about where Giannis could land if he actually becomes available.

Several teams have already been floated as potential destinations. The San Antonio Spurs, with visions of pairing Giannis with Victor Wembanyama, have been mentioned. The New York Knicks, long rumoured to be Giannis’ preferred landing spot if he ever left Milwaukee, are another. But the new CBA makes it extremely difficult to piece together a clean one-for-one trade with a true contender.

In New York’s case, the package essentially looks like picks and Karl-Anthony Towns. If Giannis joins the Knicks, they become good immediately, which dramatically lowers the value of future picks. From Milwaukee’s perspective, there’s little reason to accept that kind of return.

Upon reviewing, there’s one destination that makes a lot more sense, and it isn’t being talked about nearly enough: the Atlanta Hawks.

Why Atlanta? To start, they’re already a pretty solid team with the kind of depth that could thrive around a superstar like Giannis. Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher Dyson Daniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker offer a strong supporting cast. While Trae Young is a talented player, he’s not on Antetokounmpo’s level.

Pairing Giannis with that core elevates the Hawks immediately.

Atlanta has never made the NBA Finals. This could be the perfect moment to swing big. They’re not a franchise known for landing superstar free agents, but they can make a competitive trade offer, and more importantly, they hold something no other team does.

This is the underrated factor in all of this: Atlanta currently owns Milwaukee’s picks for the next two years. That is enormous leverage.

If the Bucks trade Giannis, they need to regain control of their future. No team wants to tank or retool when another franchise owns its draft capital. Atlanta is the only team that can give Milwaukee’s control back.

Here’s a trade structure that makes sense and factors in recently signed player restrictions (meaning the deal can only be done after December 15):

To the Atlanta Hawks:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo

• Thanasis Antetokounmpo

• Kyle Kuzma

To the Milwaukee Bucks:

• Trae Young

• Kristaps Porziņģis

• 2026 first-round pick (Milwaukee or New Orleans Swap Rights)

• 2027 first-round pick (Milwaukee or New Orleans Swap Rights)

• 2028 first-round pick (Utah or Cleveland Swap Rights)

This deal gives Milwaukee exactly what it needs: control of its franchise again. It gets its picks back and receives two players who are both valuable assets. Trae Young and Porziņģis can be flipped for even more capital, or Milwaukee can play out the season with them and retool in the summer. Though Porziņģis is a pending free agent, so the Bucks should look to move him before the deadline.

Trae Young, if he enjoys Milwaukee, could be extended, after all, attracting superstar free agents to Milwaukee is virtually impossible.

Ultimately, Giannis has shown no signs of slowing down. These are his prime years, and the last few seasons in Milwaukee feel like they've been wasted from a championship standpoint. He’s one of the greatest players in NBA history, and he should be competing for titles annually.

If this is the route he chooses, asking out of Milwaukee makes sense. Atlanta offers a chance to build a legitimate championship core around him, with real depth and a franchise hungry to make a statement. Giannis will always be remembered as a Milwaukee Buck, he can even return to finish his career there. But right now, the priority should be maximizing his prime.

Atlanta may not be the loudest or most glamorous destination, but it’s arguably the most logical one. They have the assets, the young talent, and the draft control needed to make a deal work for both sides. If Giannis is willing to go there, this could be the trade that reshapes the NBA landscape.

And for the Hawks, it could finally be the move that pushes them into true championship territory.