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The NBA Draft Lottery had a chance to help define the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this summer, as many possible destinations for the star hoped to move up in the draft order and beef up their potential trade package.
Instead, many of the popular Antetokounmpo landing spots either stayed put or dropped in the lottery, ending their hopes of getting a highly-coveted top-four pick. The Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls were the winners on lottery day, but none of those teams have been rumored to be possible Bucks trade partners.
Therefore, teams who could be aggressive in trying to make a trade with the Bucks will be picking in the back of the lottery. There are many factors that will be in-play regarding an Antetokounmpo trade, including Milwaukee looking to add as many picks as possible.
With that in mind, here's how the NBA Draft Lottery results could play into Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks.
MORE: NBA Draft Lottery results as the Wizards get the top pick
How NBA Draft Lottery results impact Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks
Atlanta Hawks
Quietly, the Hawks could be a wild card in helping determine who acquired Antetokounmpo in the offseason. Atlanta needs a star to add to its talented roster, and even if its not Antetokounmpo, the team could help facilitate a three-team trade using the No. 8 pick.
One popular trade proposal has been the Bucks sending Antetokounmpo to the Celtics, Boston sending Jaylen Brown to the Hawks and Atlanta sending assets to Milwaukee. The No. 8 selection would be part of that trade proposal, or any three-team trade proposal, to give the Bucks two top-10 picks.
Dallas Mavericks
Could the Mavericks pull off another superstar trade? It's hard to rule them out completely considering new team president Masai Ujiri is no stranger to star trades. The former Raptors executive once acquired a disgruntled Kawhi Leonard to help bring Toronto its first NBA title.
While Ujiri has a relationship with Antetokounmpo, Dallas doesn't have as many trade chips compared to other teams. The Mavericks don't own their pick next year, and also risk losing their 2028 pick in a pick swap, so a Dallas trade for Antetokounmpo appears unlikely even after securing the No. 9 pick this year.
MORE: The Sporting News' post-lottery 2026 NBA Mock Draft
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks didn't move up in the draft, which will likely hurt the team's chances at convincing Antetokounmpo to stay. The Bucks earned the No. 10 pick, which will be the team's highest pick since taking Thon Maker at No. 10 in 2016, but they also could've moved up higher with some more luck on their side.
Still, the Bucks will add some much-needed young talent to the roster with this pick and could view trading Antetokounmpo as the start of a rebuild. Milwaukee doesn't own many of its future picks, so every pick it does own is crucial to the franchise's future.
Golden State Warriors
Had the Warriors moved up to the top-four, they would've likely been the new favorite to trade for Antetokounmpo. Instead, Golden State landed the No. 11 pick as it looks to build a contender in the final few years of Stephen Curry's career.
The Warriors can still put together a package to acquire the star forward, but that package certainly took a hit with these lottery results. This pick is probably more valuable for the Warriors via trade instead of using it on a prospect, but No. 11 is not a great asset to use in trade talks, even with a deeper 2026 class.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder will pick No. 12 thanks to owning the Clippers' pick, which only adds to Sam Presti's war chest of assets. No team is better equipped to pull off a star trade than Oklahoma City, whose depth of players and draft picks surpasses every other team in the league.
Still, the Thunder don't seem to need Antetokounmpo, as they're already the best team in the league and favorite to win back-to-back NBA titles. A trade for Antetokounmpo would likely come if the Thunder lose in the playoffs and feel as if they need more star power to compete with whichever team beat them.
Miami Heat
At the trade deadline, the Heat were one of the teams that aggressively pursued Antetokounmpo before the Bucks chose against dealing the star. Unlike some other teams in this range, the No. 13 pick secured on Sunday makes Miami more likely to use the pick to trade for the star forward in the offseason.
Had Miami moved into the top-four, Pat Riley probably would've stuck and made the selection to add a cornerstone young star. Instead, the Heat can add this pick to its array of trade assets in negotiations with the Bucks this summer.
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