Ranking the best hypothetical Giannis trade packages with NBA Draft order set

The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping to resolve the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation before the 2026 NBA Draft in June. While there is still no guarantee that a trade will happen, all signs point to a blockbuster move: The vibes in Milwaukee are in the toilet, with Giannis openly frustrated by the Bucks' handling of his injury status down the stretch.

A number of contenders should place their bid to Milwaukee in the weeks ahead. Let's rank realistic landing spots by potential return value for the Bucks.

8. Los Angeles Lakers

Potential trade package: Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, No. 25 pick, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick

Los Angeles will clear roughly $50 million in cap space this offseason, which means the Lakers can provide Milwaukee with considerable cap relief. That said, the Lakers simply don't possess the necessary assets to mount a competitive offer. Dalton Knecht isn't a rotation player and while he only has two NBA seasons under his belt, he's already 25. Jake LaRavia is a bench piece.

Unless Giannis sets his sights on L.A. and is able to successfully leverage the Bucks into a bad trade, the Lakers probably won't get a shot at acquiring him until free agency in 2027 — assuming he does not sign an extension in Milwaukee or elsewhere.

7. Miami Heat

Potential trade package: Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., No. 13 pick, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick

Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins aren't bad players, but under the current CBA, those are weighty contracts Milwaukee probably does not want on its books. Jaime Jaquez is a tremendous value add, but he's a funky sixth man connector — not a future star.

Miami fell into the No. 13 pick with their Play-In loss. The 2026 NBA Draft certainly has depth through the end of the lottery, but Milwaukee probably can't bank on future stardom from that pick. Miami's picks in 2031 and 2033 could prove quite juicy, but there's no telling at this point. That said, the Heat willfully avoid tanking at all costs, and Miami's sunny locale typically means it can refuel in free agency when needed.

6. New York Knicks

Potential trade package: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, No. 24 pick, 2030, 2032 and 2033 first-round pick swaps

The Knicks probably won't trade Karl-Anthony Towns after this postseason run, which means Milwaukee is looking at Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby as the cornerstones of a return package. Both are clearly impactful performers in the playoffs, and with the new anti-tanking measures about to take effect (and no ownership over their upcoming first-round picks), the Bucks don't have an incentive to bottom out in the standings.

That said, the Bridges contract is a tough sell, and the Knicks aren't able to trade any picks (beyond this year's No. 24 selection) outright. Just swaps in the 2030s, which could be worth something. But it's also New York, and the Knicks typically don't struggle to attract marquee talent. There's a reason we're talking about Giannis to New York in the first place: Stars want to play at MSG.

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Potential trade package: Paul George, No. 22 pick, 2028 first-round pick (via LAC), 2030 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick

Philadelphia will introduce a new top executive this offseason, which could instigate major changes. VJ Edgecombe was off the table in Giannis trade talks at the deadline and that almost certainly has not changed. What has changed, however, is Paul George's perception as a trade asset: The contract is still rough, but there are only two years left and he was, on balance, the Sixers' best player in their rousing first-round victory over Boston.

George looked healthier and more impactful down the stretch than he has been in years. That could make him at least palatable to Milwaukee as salary filler, especially given their presumed desire to win basketball games next season. Philadelphia also has the Clippers' unprotected 2028 first-round pick, which could benefit from flattened lottery odds and Kawhi Leonard's uncertain future.

4. Golden State Warriors

Potential trade package: Jimmy Butler III, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, No. 11 pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick

Golden State can hand Milwaukee a second lottery pick in this year's class, plus a couple distant first-round picks with high upside, as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green probably won't be around for the 2030s.

Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard aren't necessarily building blocks, but they are two quality young players who can complement the Bucks' lottery picks (and whomever assumes the franchise's star mantle in the future). Jimmy Butler is a 35-year-old non-shooter on a max contract, coming off of major knee surgery. But he can maybe help next season, and he's on an expiring deal, so Milwaukee gets fast cap flexibility.

3. Portland Trail Blazers

Potential trade package: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, Milwaukee's first-round draft rights (2028, 2029, 2030), 2028 first-round pick (via ORL), 2032 first-round pick

Portland has a couple aces up its sleeve. New owner Tom Dundon is cheap, but he also wants to win — aggressively, according to reports. Damian Lillard was Giannis' teammate in Milwaukee and can serve as a great recruiter; nobody can speak more lovingly about the city of Portland. And, perhaps most important of all, the Blazers owner first-round pick swaps with Milwaukee in 2028, 2029 and 2030. The Bucks would finally control a meaningful chunk of their draft future.

The Blazers also have Orlando's unprotected 2028 first-round pick, a distant first-round pick in 2032 (Giannis won't play in Portland through 2032) and intriguing talent to offer up. Jerami Grant only has two years left on his $36 million annual contract. Scoot Henderson finally looked like a former No. 2 pick in the playoffs, with real breakout potential as captain of the ship in Milwaukee. Yang Hansen didn't play much as a rookie, but there's a reason Portland took him No. 16 overall last year (and tampered long before then).

2. Boston Celtics

Potential trade package: Jaylen Brown, Hugo González, No. 27 pick, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick

If Boston is willing to unload the full clip assets-wise, it will be mighty compelling for Milwaukee. Jaylen Brown just led the Celtics to 56 wins as the No. 1 option, with Jayson Tatum out for most of the year. We don't need to pretend like he'll have the same support system with the Bucks, but Brown is a Finals MVP and a five-time All-Star still on the right side of 30.

Hugo González probably isn't more than a high-energy bench piece, but man, he's an awesome high-energy bench piece. A real tone-setter. Boston is limited in terms of draft capital (and the perceived value of that draft capital), but in an anti-tanking world, Brown is a real difference-maker.

1. Brooklyn Nets

Potential trade package: Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré, No. 6 pick, 2027 first-round pick (via NYK), 2028 first-round pick (via PHI, top-8 protected), 2029 first-round pick (via NYK), 2031 first-round pick (via NYK), 2033 first-round pick

The Nets own the most future first-round picks of any NBA franchise, which gives them a real upper-hand (on top of their NYC locale) in the Giannis sweepstakes. Brooklyn is a less established team than others on this list, but with Giannis, Michael Porter Jr. and more flexibility and trade assets even beyond this behemoth trade, Sean Marks can flip this roster into a contender fairly quickly.

Maybe Brooklyn ultimately decides against sacrificing this much draft capital for an aging superstar with recent injury concerns, especially since pick value is skyrocketing with the league's new flattened lottery odds. It's Giannis, though: He's a top-five player in the NBA, and the Nets don't own their pick next year, so tanking isn't really in the cards. If Brooklyn wants to win this bidding war and set up Milwaukee's future, it can. This basically turns James Harden and Mikal Bridges into Giannis Antetokounmpo retroactively, with Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré, two flawed but promising second-year guards, included as cherries on top.

More NBA news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow