Hate it or love it, the NBA has become a transactions-first league. Many people who consume the sport do so through Shams Charania notifications and permutations of the trade machine rather than watching the beautiful game unfold on the hardwood.
Those who obsess over roster-building and superstar trades got their fix this afternoon when Shams notified the world that former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis have begun to discuss his future with the Milwaukee Bucks.
If Giannis is traded, every franchise in the NBA should be clamoring for his services.
Including the Charlotte Hornets.
‘There’s going to be a time that we cash in. We take all of our chips, assets, whatever, and we’re gonna go get that guy. That’s gonna happen at some point,’ said Hornets’ lead decision-maker Jeff Peterson in an episode of Reel Access this summer.
While it is wholly unlikely that Peterson mortgages his future for a 30-year-old on a super-duper max contract while his team’s rebuild is still in it’s infancy, it’s still fun to dream about a trade offer that lands Giannis in Charlotte. Let’s build a package that could do just that.
Hornets’ trade package to land Giannis in CharlotteCharlotte sends: LaMelo Ball, Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley, Moussa Diabate, and four first-round picksMilwaukee sends: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetekounmpo, and Ryan Rollins
Hornets/Bucks Trade | Spotrac.com
Will this happen? Absolutely not. Is it fun to think about? It sure is.
Why the Hornets do it:
He’s Giannis freaking Antetokounmpo.
If the opportunity arises to trade for a potential MVP, you have to at least make the call. Pairing Giannis with two elite shooters in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel would cause an unsolvable conundrum for teams in the Eastern Conference.
Ryan Rollins has ascended into a solid starting point guard alongside Giannis and would slide into the same role in Charlotte. A starting five of Rollins, Knueppel, Miller, Giannis, and Ryan Kalkbrenner would be devastating on offense and tough to crack on defense.
Convincing Miles Bridges to come off the bench in this scenario would ruffle some feathers, but that role may actually suit his strengths better than the high-usage slot he’s filled in the Hornets’ current starting five.
The Hornets would still have Bridges, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Sion James, Josh Green, and Grant Williams as depth pieces to supplement their starting unit, making them a legitimate threat for a deep run in the Eastern Conference in the immediate future with Antetokounmpo as their centerpiece.
Why the Bucks do it:
*whispers* They don’t. But if they did…
The combination of picks, intriguing young talent, and a superstar to fill seats in the interm.
Four first-round picks is nothing to scoff at. The Hornets have their own picks every year going forward, they own one from Orlando in 2026 (based on current standings), and one each (with protections) from Dallas and Miami in 2027. Milwaukee could leverage their future on any number of those four franchises based on Charlotte’s plethora of picks. The optionality in future assets to dangle is key here.
If Jon Horst doesn’t believe in Dallas’ ability to build a true contender around Cooper Flagg before next year’s draft, that Mavericks’ pick could be intriguing to Milwaukee.
If he doesn’t trust ‘Heat Culture’ and see’s Miami’s red-hot offense as a bubble waiting to burst, he could bet against Erik Spoelstra and the Heat. Dealer’s choice for Horst.
Beyond the picks, all three of Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley, and Moussa Diabate offer some semblance of long-term upside. While none of them will ever develop into a Giannis, it’s realistic to imagine at least one or two of them playing big minutes on a contendor at some point in their developmental curve.
Lastly, LaMelo Ball at least keeps Milwaukee interesting as they rebuild. His brand is a force unto itself, and fans from all over Wisconsin will flock to the Cream City to see Ball suit up as a Buck. He may not be the on-court force he was before his ankles betrayed him, but LaMelo’s name alone carries a level of cache that will drive enough merch and ticket sales to keep Milwaukee’s books afloat while they rebuild.
Will any of this come to fruition? It’s highly, highly, unlikely. Giannis will get traded to a big market where he can continue to be one of the faces of basketball on a global stage and compete for an NBA title as soon as 2026.
But, as we saw with Luka Doncic getting traded in the dark of night…nothing is impossible in the NBA. Dream on.
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