To say the least, this season has been a disaster for the New Orleans Pelicans. A 3–19 record through 22 games, a bottom-three net rating in the league, constant injuries, and even a coaching change. But today, Brian Windhorst dropped a golden nugget of information that can be a beacon of hope for the organization going forward.
While appearing on ESPN Radio Cleveland Windhorst was asked about Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future in Milwaukee. Windhorst addressed that Antetokounmpo already requested a trade during the 2025 offseason, but as we already knew, the Bucks front office refused to trade him. Windhorst suggested that this led Antetokounmpo to commit to the Bucks for the 2025-26 season.
But with how bad the Bucks have been without Antetokounmpo this season, many people in the league don't think he'll be a Buck next season, according to Windhorst. These comments from Windhorst have become more concrete, with an official report coming from ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent will be meeting with the Bucks to discuss his future.
So how would an Antetokounmpo trade help the Pelicans? New Orleans owns the swap rights to the Bucks' 2027 first-round pick, which they acquired from the Jrue Holiday trade back in 2020.
The Pelicans now have one of the league’s most valuable trade assets
If the Bucks are forced to part ways with Antetokounmpo, the safe assumption is that the front office will swiftly enter a full-scale rebuild.
This season, the Bucks are 1-5 when Antetokounmpo doesn't play, so it's fair to say that if he were traded, they instantly become a bottom-three team out east. Making their 2027 first-round pick one of the league's most valuable trade chips in the entire NBA.
If the Bucks are going to trade Giannis, they will desperately want the rights to their first pick in 2027, which New Orleans can leverage. Whether it's the Bucks' front office directly calling to try to get their pick back, or a team looking to acquire another asset to package for Antetokounmpo. One thing is sure: teams will be calling.
With a young core of Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, and Derik Queen, the Pelicans already have a really good foundation to build around going forward. Pairing that with either a top 5 pick in the 2027 NBA draft or trading that pick away for a multitude of other assets, the front office now has a golden ticket to help round out their future.
The Pelicans ultimately have one of the biggest dominoes in the entire Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga, and it's funny to me that no one is talking about it.