No team has as much riding on the fate of next season as the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are trying to convince superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay in town. Thus far, they have done a reasonable job of remaking their roster around him.
Still, the talent gap between Giannis and the second-best player on the roster is huge. Especially with them having waived Damian Lillard. Nevertheless, they could potentially replace him with another star point guard, Trae Young.
Young and the Atlanta Hawks appear far apart on a potential contract extension. That means that he could hit unrestricted free agency next summer and leave Atlanta for nothing. That could offer the Bucks a glimmer of hope ahead of the trade deadline if the Hawks aren’t nearly as successful as they hope to be.
If that’s the case, and it seems clear that Young likely wouldn’t re-sign, then that could open the door for Milwaukee to make a big trade for him.
Could the Milwaukee Bucks trade for Trae Young?
The Bucks don’t have many remaining trade assets but could get creative to try and make a run at Young in much the same way they did with Myles Turner. One option would be to take a page out of the Phoenix Suns’ playbook.
They could trade their unprotected 2032 first to a team with multiple first-round picks, i.e., the Oklahoma City Thunder, for three firsts. They could then package those picks, Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis Jr., and Tyler Smith for Young.
Or, they could potentially ship Portis Jr. to a third team with another asset being rerouted to the Hawks. On paper, that wouldn’t seem like enough to acquire a star in Young.
However, his trade value has been surprisingly low, and that could work to the Bucks’ benefit, with them potentially being able to offer multiple firsts.
Is Young a realistic trade target for the Milwaukee Bucks?
Even if Young wouldn’t guarantee the Bucks that he’d re-sign, it would still be worth it to them if it nudges Giannis to stay. Still, a lot would have to go right for the Bucks to even be in the running for Young.
First, the Hawks and Young would have to remain far apart in contract negotiations. That might happen if Young is expecting a max contract. In that case, he could hit unrestricted free agency.
That doesn’t mean that the Hawks have to trade him. They could play out next season and hope their success convinces him to stay. Or, he could demand a trade in the same way that Jimmy Butler did, which could open a lane up for the Bucks.
Even then, they would still have to spin what little assets they have into a trade package to land Young. Otherwise, they may struggle to keep Giannis in Milwaukee.
