Since trading for top-75 point guard Damian Lillard, things haven't gone the way the Milwaukee Bucks have hoped. Despite employing two of the greatest talents in NBA history, between Dame and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the past two seasons have culminated in the same ending: a brief first-round playoff exit.
This is especially concerning for the Bucks given their roster construction and future outlook. Damian Lillard missed the last few weeks of the regular season and the first game of their series against the Indiana Pacers before rushing back from the blood clot condition that held him out. He was able to play in two full matches before going down with a torn Achilles just six minutes into his third outing. Given his advanced age for a small NBA guard and the timing of his injury, there's a strong chance we won't see him play again until the 2026-27 season. The Bucks had given away practically all of their young talent and draft capital to build a title contender around Giannis, and now it's all crumbled around him.
While this is all terribly unfortunate for Milwaukee and its faithful, the New Orleans Pelicans and their fans don't have much sympathy to spare for other franchises. Instead, they can offer the Bucks some reprieve while also taking advantage of their untimely downfall. Here's a trade that could brighten the future a bit in the Dairy State while filling in some major needs for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans should offer the Bucks the full rights to their 2026 first-round pick back
The Milwaukee Bucks are in an especially bleak position. They're short on depth, top-end talent outside of Antetokounmpo and Lillard, young prospects, and future draft capital. That leaves them with a depleted roster with sparse resources to try to upgrade it. Even if they wanted to bottom out by trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, it'd be mostly a fruitless endeavor, as they don't have full ownership of their first-round picks until 2031. Until then, their first-rounders have either been traded away or a different team has the rights to swap selections with them, making it effectively useless for the Bucks to tank.
This trade allows Milwaukee to take back a bit of control regarding their future. After making this deal with the Pelicans, they could choose to deal away Giannis Antetokounmpo if they wanted and chase lottery odds in 2026 instead of trying to somehow scrap together a competitive roster.
Along with the full rights back to their 2026, New Orleans would also send Milwaukee Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Hawkins. Kelly Olynyk gives them a viable veteran who could either act as a tank commander if they did decide to bottom out or someone who could contribute alongside Giannis. Hawkins would be a possible redemption project for the Bucks. He's struggled heavily with his efficiency and consistency so far in the NBA, but he'd be the most promising young player on their roster by far.
In return, New Orleans gets Bobby Portis, Andre Jackson Jr., and AJ Green. Kelly Olynyk and Bobby Portis might feel like a push, but, for the Pelicans' needs, it'd be a slight upgrade. Neither is exactly a defensive stopper, but Portis offers a bit more resistance inside, making him a better candidate to play as a stretch five next to Zion. He's also a bit more adept at creating his own offense than Olynyk, so he could feature as a second-unit hub. Lastly, he's a far better rebounder than Kelly, something that New Orleans desperately needs.
In Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green, the Pelicans get two viable 3-and-D wings. Green's effectiveness as a stopper is capped due to his limited lateral quickness, but he plays hard on that end of the court, has good length, and is agile enough to slide along the arc with most non-stars. AJax has the physical tools and instincts to make an All-Defense team someday, but his offensive deficiencies have kept him from garnering enough playing time to submit a real bid so far. However, he's only 23 years old and has hit nearly 39 percent of his triples so far in his career. He just needs the confidence to take them with enough consistency to make defenses think twice about shading off of him.
This wouldn't be a blockbuster trade by any means, but it does address a lot of needs for New Orleans, and the cost is minimal. If the Pelicans continue to try to build around Zion next year, they no longer have the time or minutes available for Hawkins to develop accordingly. Aside from him, giving the Bucks their pick back is basically nothing to get two young, 3-and-D wings with potential and a slight upgrade over Kelly Olynyk. Of course, if Milwaukee ends up trading Giannis at any point, then under no circumstances should New Orleans give up their swap rights.