Could the Hawks attach themselves as a third team in a potential Giannis deal to Miami?

The NBA Finals are still going on, but the rumor mill is continuing to heat up heading into what is going to be a busy summer.

Speaking of heating up (no pun intended), there continue to be reports of the Miami Heat being frontrunners for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, with insider Marc Stein saying this on Tuesday:

“Sources close to the process consistently say that they believe that Miami is at the top of Antetokounmpo’s current wish list but likewise continue to whisper that the idea of landing in Boston is still in his thoughts somewhere.

Chatter persists that Antetokounmpo, in any case, is determined to stay in the Eastern Conference after 13 seasons as a Buck.”

If a deal were to come together, would it be just a straight-up trade, or would there be a third team involved? If there is a third team involved, could that team be the Atlanta Hawks?

The Hawks enter this offseason as an opportunistic team with a lot of different options. They have a good young core of Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, who are all on good contracts. Atlanta has plenty of financial flexibility and two first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft (No. 8 and No. 23). After finishing as the No. 6 team in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks could be ready to make some noise this offseason.

But making noise does not always involve making a blockbuster deal or signing the best free agent on the market. When you have options like the Hawks do, they can afford to be opportunistic and try to attach themselves to big deals, like a potential Giannis-Miami deal?

Players the Hawks could target in a three-team deal

Heading into the offseason, the Hawks have a couple of glaring needs that the Knicks exposed in their first-round series. Backcourt shot creation/making and size on the interior, as well as interior defense, are areas that the Hawks are going to have to address in some form this offseason. Not only that, but the Hawks’ bench needs to improve. Improving their roster is not the only reason the Hawks could attach themselves to a three-team deal, but they could take on contracts if they can get draft capital in return.

Here are some players on either Milwaukee or Miami that the Hawks could target (in no specific order):

• Andrew Wiggins
• Jaime Jaquez Jr
• Kel’el Ware
• Kasparas Jakucionas
• Myles Turner
• Bobby Portis
• Kyle Kuzma

Would any of these players be game-changers for the Hawks? Not necessarily, but they could fill needs with any of these players.

I think Wiggins and Ware would be at the top of the list for the Hawks, especially Ware. Atlanta has been linked to several centers ahead of the NBA Draft and free agency and Ware would be a fantastic option to take a chance on if the Bucks don’t want him. He has defensive concerns and might not be exactly what Quin Snyder is looking for as a defensive anchor, but he is an option.

Wiggins has an expiring contract, and Miami might need to use his $30.1 million salary to facilitate a trade. If the Bucks are trading Antetokounmpo, they are going to be rebuilding and may not want Wiggins, meaning he could be re-routed to another team. He would be a great 3-and-D option for Atlanta.

Jaquez Jr was a 6th Man of the Year candidate this season and would improve the Hawks’ second unit, while Jakucionas showed promise as a rookie, and the Hawks could use another ball handler, as they are likely to target one in either the draft or free agency.

I don’t think the Hawks would be thrilled to take on the contracts of Turner, Portis, or Kuzma, but those are players that the Hawks could get some draft assets back in return for taking on their contracts. Kuzma is expiring and could be a bench option for Atlanta; Turner had a very down season after signing with the Bucks and has three years left on his deal. At his best, he could help the Hawks as a shot blocker, and he does stretch the floor, but Atlanta would need some real draft capital or an asset to take on Turners deal.

Portis would be an ok bench option for Atlanta and has two years left on his deal. Again, if the Hawks got a draft pick from either Milwaukee or Miami, they might be willing to take him on.

It is far from a guarantee that the Hawks will attach themselves to a potential Antetokounmpo deal, but there are clear benefits to doing so if they want to and they could come away with more draft assets or a player who could fill a need, either in the short term or potentially the long-term.

The Hawks’ front office has set themselves up as a team with options this offseason, and that is what they want.