The Milwaukee Bucks getting ousted expeditiously in the first round of the NBA playoffs for the second postseason in a row has the NBA world reeling. Between their consecutive quick exits and Damian Lillard's devastating Achilles injury, the vultures have started circling over two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to see if they can pick him off the scraps of his dying empire.
It's not quite that simple for the Bucks, though. Even if they wanted to trade Giannis and reset their franchise, their past moves have left them without full control or ownership of their future first-round draft picks. The New Orleans Pelicans have the ability to swap first-rounders with Milwaukee in 2026, and their 2027 pick is owed to either the Pels or the Atlanta Hawks, so it's effectively useless for the Bucks to bottom for at least the next two seasons.
Because of this, any trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo would almost certainly involve the Pelicans as a third party to give the Bucks the right to their own pick(s) back. The Athletic understands this, which is what led them to draw up a mock trade between Milwaukee, New Orleans, and the San Antonio Spurs. They may have nailed the need for the Pelicans to be involved, but there's not much else that's right with this deal.
Proposed trade treats the Pelicans and Zion Williamson as an afterthought
It was clear that the New Orleans Pelicans would need to be in any deal involving Giannis Antetokounmpo for it to truly make sense. The Athletic's team of writers kept that in mind when they drew up a hypothetical three-team swap that would send the Greek Freak to the San Antonio Spurs to form a colossal frontcourt of athletic marvels alongside Victor Wembanyama.
When delving into the terms of the trade, though, it's pretty apparent that they started with Giannis to the Spurs and worked backwards from there, essentially just throwing in the Pelicans and Zion Williamson as a way to make the deal sensible for the Milwaukee Bucks. This proposal sees the Pelicans send the Bucks Zion and the rights to their 2027 first-round pick back in exchange for Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Pat Connaughton, and the Atlanta Hawks' 2027 first-round pick via the San Antonio.
Vassell is a youngish 24-year-old shooting guard who's been a "burgeoning breakout candidate" for about three years in a row. This past season, he took a significant step back in both usage and production, averaging 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc.
Sochan is a decent young prospect at 21 years old. His offensive development has been practically non-existent through three seasons, but his defensive versatility and playmaking at his size suggest he could be a uniquely impactful player someday. Connaughton would be purely salary filler at this point in his career. The Hawks' pick in 2027 is almost certainly going to be a worse selection than the Bucks' if they trade away Giannis.
So, in summation, the Pelicans are giving up Zion Williamson in this deal for a bit of an overrated young shooting guard, a decent prospect with a severely limited offensive ceiling, and the pleasure of getting a worse first-round pick in 2027. No thanks.
Grade: D