Who’s the Top Pick? Plus, Giannis Trade and Most Interesting Offseasons.

June 19, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Zach Lowe opened his Friday podcast by acknowledging the obvious: Giannis Antetokounmpo could be traded at any moment. Rather than wait, he brought on Jonathan Givony of Draft Express for a wide-ranging draft preview that also touched on the Giannis sweepstakes, the murky top of the board, and a handful of teams whose offseasons deserve attention beyond the superstar vortex.

The Giannis Trade: Still Expected Before the Draft

Lowe and Givony both expect a Giannis trade to happen before Tuesday’s draft, though neither is certain. The logic is straightforward: Milwaukee will want a first-round pick in a draft the league likes, and the trade deadline taught everyone that the Bucks are patient negotiators. “They played this brilliantly,” Givony said, recalling how Milwaukee let teams show their best offers, then pulled back. “Now they know what our best offer is. And now they’re gonna do this again.”

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What you'll learn

1 (00:59) **Episode Intro & Giannis Trade Watch** - Zach explains why he's doing a show despite Giannis trade rumors, and sets up the draft-focused episode with Jonathan Givony
2 (10:09) **Washington's #1 Pick Dilemma: Peterson vs. DeBanza** - The Wizards are reportedly torn between Darren Peterson and AJ DeBanza at the top of the draft
3 (14:40) **Zach's Late-Season Film Study & Peterson's Case** - Zach watched college basketball tape and shares his impressions, while Givony makes the case for Peterson as the #1 pick
4 (20:09) **Trey Young's Opt-Out & Wizards Fit** - Trey Young opting out of $49M creates a wildcard for Washington's draft decision and roster construction
5 (23:56) **The Guard Morass: Picks 5-10** - Teams like the Clippers, Nets, Kings, and Hawks are in a complex zone with multiple guards available and trade possibilities
6 (28:42) **Middle of the First Round: Picks 11-18** - Teams like Golden State, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Memphis, and Charlotte have picks in play for trades
7 (30:02) **Brooklyn's Offseason Puzzle** - The Nets are in a strange position with no control of their pick next year and pressure to improve

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Zach is joined by Jonathan Givony to discuss the looming Giannis trade, who will go first overall to the Wizards in this year’s NBA draft, and which teams have the potential for the most interesting offseason.

(0:00) Welcome to The Zach Lowe Show!

(01:34) Jonathan Givony joins the show!

(4:00) Looming Giannis trade

(9:17) Who is going first?

(20:50) Trae Young declines his option

(28:15) Nets must get going

(32:21) Risers and fallers

(38:08) Most interesting offseason teams

Host: Zach Lowe

Guest: Jonathan Givony

Producers: Jonathan Frias and Mike Wargon

Social: Keith Fujimoto and Michael Szokoli

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