NBA Trade Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo links up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & co., Bucks reset with first round picks in five-team blockbuster deal

Giannis Antetokounmpo might have played his last game with the Milwaukee Bucks after the playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo was brilliant in the first round, but the series cost his team dearly. Damian Lillard tore his ACL in Game 4, leaving his co-star on his own to fight back and try to make the series interesting.

Milwaukee's first-round exit is their third straight, leading fans to believe that a big change is needed this summer. Unfortunately for them, that likely means moving on from their franchise centerpiece. Giannis Antetokounmpo has said that he wants to stay with the Bucks for as long as possible, but also expressed a desire to add another championship to his resume. '

At this point, those two desires don't appear to be possible at the same time for the Greek Freak. The Bucks went all in to win the title in 2021, but the team hasn't aged well. The entire roster is older and after trading for Lillard, Milwaukee doesn't have the draft capital or young assets necessary to bring in another star to play alongside their MVP candidate.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo decides to pursue a trade this summer, he and general manager Jon Horst will have plenty of teams lining up to make a deal. Adding Antetokounmpo makes any team a contender the moment he walks through the door, but teams that have struggled to get over the hump could view him as the piece that could push them over the top.

When it comes to trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, it will take a lot to convince Milwaukee to make the trade. The odds of a two-team deal is unlikely, only because the Bucks will require a return of multiple proven young players or a plethora of future draft picks.

If a team looking to add Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to bring in other squads into a deal, things become much more interesting.

Oklahoma City receives Giannis Antetokounmpo in a five-team deal

While the Oklahoma City Thunder have the young talent and draft capital to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo themselves, bringing in other teams allows them to retain some of their young talent. However, trading for one of the best players in the NBA will cost them, no matter how many teams are involved in the deal.

That being said, here is one five-team deal that sends Antetokounmpo to the top team in the Western Conference to play alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Milwaukee Bucks receive: F Jerami Grant, F Onyeka Okongwu, G Nikola Topic, 2026 first-round pick swap(via NOP), 2027 first-round pick swap(via NOP), 2028 first-round pick swap(via POR), 2030 first-round pick swap(via POR)

Oklahoma City Thunder receive: F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Portland Trail Blazers receive: G Terrance Mann, F Jalen Williams, 2028 first-round pick (via OKC)

New Orleans Pelicans receive: G Shaedon Sharpe, 2027 first-round pick(via OKC)

Atlanta Hawks receive: C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Isaiah Joe

When looking at any offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will be looking for young players who can help them now and put them in a position to succeed once Lillard returns from his torn ACL. This trade brings them a bit of both.

Grant is a far cry from what Antetokounmpo is as a talent, but he proved with the Detroit Pistons that he is a capable lead scorer. Okongwu was a solid contributor on a Hawks team that had an up-and-down season, while Topic comes in as a top-level talent that could become the team's next star. Those players, combined with four first-round pick swaps, set Milwaukee up well moving forward.

For the Thunder, bringing Antetokounmpo in is a risk, but he would form one of the league's best trios with him, Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. Two of the three MVP finalists on the same team is a scary proposition for the rest of the league, especially considering the fact that Antetokounmpo can improve an already ferocious defense in Oklahoma City.

The Trail Blazers offload Grant's contract in the deal and receive an All-Star in return. Williams took a big step as a playmaker and scorer this season, keeping the team afloat when Gilgeous-Alexander sat on the bench. He would be one of Portland's top contributors and help the team instill a commitment to defense around a young core featuring Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan.

The Pelicans are in the deal as a facilitator, but receiving Sharpe and a first-round pick makes it worth their while. Sharpe has had great stretches during his three seasons in the NBA, and he can pick up the offensive slack left by Brandon Ingram. Additionally, his arrival makes a Zion Williamson trade easier to explore for New Orleans as they move into a pivotal offseason.

The Atlanta Hawks fell out of the Eastern Conference playoffs with two straight losses in the NBA Play-In Tournament. However, the team's future is bright after a breakout season for Jalen Johnson and an impressive rookie campaign for Zaccharie Risacher. Losing Okongwu hurts, but Hartenstein is one of the league's best bigs. Joe's elite shooting is also a crucial offensive addition for Trae Young.

Any deal centered around one of the league's top talents is complicated and involves a lot of moving pieces, but this five-team deal has each participant walking away with a significant piece as they move forward. Regardless of what happens, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the biggest domino to fall this summer.