Giannis Antetokounmpo prepared for potential trade from Bucks as proposals emerge
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is preparing for a potential change of scenery ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as multiple teams have made strong proposals to the Milwaukee Bucks, who are beginning to consider their options, according to league sources reported by ESPN on Wednesday.
Several teams have sensed that the Bucks are more receptive than ever to offers for Antetokounmpo leading up to the deadline, as per league sources. However, Milwaukee has communicated to interested parties that the franchise is not in a hurry to finalize a deal and is open to addressing Antetokounmpo’s future in the offseason if their desired return of a top young talent and/or an abundance of draft picks is not met, sources indicated. By postponing any trade until the summer, the Bucks could also evaluate which teams might provide more attractive draft picks in June.
Sources have stated that Antetokounmpo has conveyed to the Bucks for several months that he feels the time has come to part ways after over 12 years together, making a trade increasingly likely. The Bucks, currently at 18-27 and positioned 12th in the Eastern Conference, are facing significant uncertainties regarding their future direction, prompting candid discussions between both parties.
Milwaukee is projected to have a lottery pick in the upcoming draft, holding the less favorable of their own selection and that of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Antetokounmpo, 31, will be eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million supermax extension starting Oct. 1. If he does not sign an extension, he could become an unrestricted free agent in the 2027 offseason by opting out of a $62.8 million player option that summer.
Given that next season essentially acts as an expiring year on his contract, it enhances his leverage regarding his preferred destination. Any team willing to meet the high cost in both players and draft assets to acquire him would want assurance of his long-term commitment. If traded during the offseason, Antetokounmpo would need to wait six months from the trade date to sign the supermax extension.
When asked on Jan. 19 if he is confident he will remain with the Bucks for the remainder of the season, Antetokounmpo replied: “I don’t know. I don’t know. I take it day by day.” Following last Wednesday’s defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Antetokounmpo provided a straightforward evaluation of the team’s current situation.
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo stated. “We aren’t executing properly. We’re not competing to win. We’re not functioning as a cohesive unit. Our chemistry is lacking. Players are being selfish, seeking their own shots rather than looking for the best shot for the team. Individuals are trying to handle it themselves.”
General manager Jon Horst, coach Doc Rivers, and team ownership convinced Antetokounmpo of the team’s championship aspirations this season after waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s remaining $113 million to sign Myles Turner for four years and $108 million. However, Antetokounmpo expressed concerns about the roster during the offseason and considered potential external fits, including a desire for a trade to the New York Knicks if an agreement could be reached, but he ultimately recommitted to the Bucks and gave the 2025-26 season a genuine opportunity.
Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for several weeks due to a right calf strain sustained in Friday’s home loss to the Denver Nuggets, the same injury that kept him out for 24 days in December. He acknowledged that he played most of Friday’s game while injured and would not have returned if the team had been in a better position in the standings. He also missed 11 days with a groin strain in November. He has expedited his return to the lineup each time in an effort to assist the Bucks in salvaging the season. Milwaukee has a record of 3-12 in the games he has missed during the 2025-26 season.
When he was injured, Antetokounmpo estimated he would be out for four to six weeks. On Monday, Rivers refrained from speculating on when Antetokounmpo might make his return from this latest injury.
Antetokounmpo, who led Milwaukee to its first championship in 50 years and holds the top position in every major statistical category in team history, has consistently expressed to the Bucks in private discussions that he has a strong affection for the city and the franchise. Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, have engaged in discussions with Horst over the past nine months regarding whether the best path forward lies in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
ESPN reported on Dec. 3 that Antetokounmpo and Saratsis had initiated conversations about his future with the Bucks, with a resolution anticipated in the coming weeks. Since then, there has been growing anticipation in the Bucks locker room and among team personnel that, as multiple sources have indicated, “the writing is on the wall with Giannis.”
Sources have noted that the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo has created tension within the locker room and an uneasy atmosphere. This has also affected the fan base. The Bucks were down by 31 points at halftime against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 13, and when fans at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee booed the home team as they headed into the half, Antetokounmpo took it personally. After making a layup in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo responded by booing the home fans in return.
The Bucks are 15-15 with Antetokounmpo in the lineup, a win percentage that would qualify them for the play-in tournament. When Antetokounmpo is off the court this season, the Bucks have a 106.0 offensive rating, which would rank as the lowest in the NBA (the Pacers are last at 108.0). The Bucks perform a remarkable 15 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the floor compared to when he is off, achieving a level of play that would position them as the best in the league.
This encapsulates the narrative of the current season for Milwaukee, which constructed a team designed to enhance Antetokounmpo’s abilities but instead created one that struggles to operate without him.
For the season, Milwaukee ranks 23rd in offensive efficiency and 23rd in defensive efficiency, placing them among six teams (Brooklyn, New Orleans, Sacramento, Indiana, and Washington) that are in the bottom 10 in both categories.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 29.2 minutes per game, leading the NBA in points per minute and achieving the highest field goal percentage (64.5%) ever recorded for a player scoring 25 points per game.
He propelled the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship during a playoff run in which he made a swift return from a severe hyperextension of his knee that caused him to miss the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals.
Selected No. 15 in the 2013 draft, Antetokounmpo holds the top spot in Bucks history for points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and games played, and is second in steals. In addition to his two MVP awards, he was named Most Improved Player in 2016-17 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20.
From 2018-19 to 2024-25, the Bucks recorded the best record in the league at 368-187. Horst skillfully restructured contending teams around Antetokounmpo with the acquisitions of Jrue Holiday in 2020, along with various role players leading up to the 2021 championship, and the Lillard blockbuster in 2023. Both transactions resulted in extensions from Antetokounmpo. However, the Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, and their asset pool and overall roster talent have diminished.
Milwaukee has attempted to act as a buyer in the trade market but has not proceeded with any transactions due to the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future and the team’s limited capacity to execute a significant move. Forwards Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma are the primary names the Bucks have discussed in trade negotiations while keeping their one tradeable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) off the table unless it is exchanged for a clear superstar, according to sources. At the draft in June, the Bucks will possess their pick that night along with the 2031 and 2033 selections available for trades.
ESPN’s Jamal Collier and Bobby Marks and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
