Atlanta Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh has become one of the biggest breakout stars in all of 2025 Free Agency. His recent signing of Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker has encouraged media pundits to pick the Hawks as early favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Their recent roster construction has also allowed the Hawks to win the summer with a blockbuster trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks GM Jon Horst has had a busy free agency, similar to Saleh. Their waiving of future Hall of Famer Damian Lillard was the biggest headline of day 2. They also made another massive move with the acquisition of 10-year veteran Myles Turner. The Pacers' staple left Indiana for a four-year $107 million deal.

Both moves play a massive role in the Bucks' plans in 2026 and beyond. There’s still plenty of time left for them to improve the roster, but franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo has voiced his concerns with deleted tweets. It’s apparent his era in Milwaukee could end soon, and the Front Office must prepare for his departure to salvage the future of professional basketball in Wisconsin.

Their safest way out is a trade, and according to DraftKings sportsbook, the Atlanta Hawks are the biggest betting favorites (+600) to land the two-time MVP if he were to request a trade. Luckily for Atlanta, they have the best potential trade package to seal the deal.

The beauty of this situation for the Hawks is that they’re destined for a positive outcome regardless of who they put in the package. Atlanta’s roster is so filled with talent that they can trade their young or solidified talent and still improve the team.  Horst and the Bucks F.O. will likely ask for Dyson Daniels or Jalen Johnson, seeing the potential both possess at their ages.

Daniels or Johnson would headline the trade and likely require another Hawks key piece as well. Kennard and Porzingis are both on one-year deals, so either departure would be a minor loss for the Hawks. The final layer of the package will be the 2026 unprotected first-round pick between the Bucks and Pelicans, which seems very promising with the current landscape.

The rights to their 2026 pick would be perfect for the Bucks as they prepare for a rebuild after reaching the pinnacle in 2021. The 2026 NBA draft is stacked, and trading Antetokounmpo will ensure they receive a top pick next summer. 

Pairing Anteokounmpo with Trae Young forms an impressive tandem, accompanied by the budding roster. Keeping Dyson or Johnson next to Trae Young ensures Young has a co-star for the future, while adding a solidified superstar around the Hawks’ star duo.

Saleh could also make additional moves before the end of Free Agency, and other teams are interested in different pieces, such as Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks' new GM has showcased an outstanding talent for trade negotiation, and Atlanta could fill out the roster with reliable specialists at the expense of their homegrown talent. 

The trade is a massive hypothetical, and the Hawks have positioned themselves at the perfect time in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Their current core can easily be a top-five seed next season if they’re not interested in Antetokounmpo. Either way, the Hawks are about to begin a new era of Atlanta Basketball.