What lies ahead for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks?
ONE DAY AFTER the NBA trade deadline, Giannis Antetokounmpo was positioned on the sidelines at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, anticipating a basketball to be tossed in his direction.
His two young sons, Liam and Maverick, each held a ball. One after the other, they summoned their strength to launch a two-handed shot high into the air towards their 6-foot-11 father.
Antetokounmpo took one ball and executed a crossover dribble as his youngest son tumbled to the floor, before they all proceeded toward center court. Antetokounmpo then began treating the basketball like a soccer ball, kicking it off his foot and bouncing it off his head while his children observed with amazement, his demeanor appearing more relaxed than the anxious fan base monitoring his every action.
Last Friday marked the Milwaukee Bucks’ last home game prior to the All-Star break, and the team intended to celebrate Antetokounmpo’s 10th consecutive All-Star selection before the game commenced.
At center court, he was encircled by his two sons, two daughters, wife, and mother.
Bobby Portis, his longest-serving teammate, was the first to take the microphone.
“We appreciate everything you do for the city,” Portis stated as the crowd in Milwaukee chanted “M-V-P.”
Then his brother Thanasis, who has been his teammate for six seasons in Milwaukee, had his turn.
“I’m proud of you, the team is proud of you, everyone is proud of you,” Thanasis remarked. “Keep going.”
This was a moment for the Bucks, their supporters, the players, and the organization to collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future had overshadowed the team since the beginning of the season, and the pressure had only escalated leading up to last Thursday’s deadline.
Antetokounmpo’s dissatisfaction with the team’s mediocrity had been mounting for years. Despite achieving 58, 49, and 48 wins over the past three seasons, the Bucks had faced humiliating first-round playoff exits in each of those years.
In August, the team entered exclusive negotiations with the New York Knicks, marking Antetokounmpo’s first significant engagement with another franchise. The discussions did not progress but resulted in awkward, misaligned messaging during Milwaukee’s media day in September.
This awkwardness intensified as the team began the season with an 8-12 record, which included a seven-game losing streak, causing them to drop toward the lower end of the standings. Antetokounmpo’s return from injury last month could not lift the Bucks back into the playoff contention, prompting him to express frustration postgame regarding the team’s roster, the younger players on it, and questioning why his input was not being acknowledged.
Consequently, the franchise, for the first time, considered aggressive offers from several teams at the deadline. However, the Bucks did not feel an urgent need to part ways with Antetokounmpo, team sources informed ESPN. After yet another cycle of tension-filled transactions, the Bucks still aim to salvage the Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee.
The lingering question remains: for how long? And what might the next pivotal moment be?
HOPE RAN ANEW on Friday morning. Coach Doc Rivers noted he could sense the relief among the team during shootaround: “You could see guys skipping around the gym.”
After the deadline, Antetokounmpo shared an image from “The Wolf of Wall Street,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, under investigation for financial misconduct as the CEO of his company, declaring to his employees, “I’m not f—ing leaving.”
He captioned the post, “Legends don’t chase, they attract.”
This post further energized his teammates. Antetokounmpo even texted Portis directly with a deer emoji and a “100 sign.”
“Overstood,” Portis replied.
The Bucks secured a victory on Friday night, winning 105-99 against the Indiana Pacers, marking Milwaukee’s first three-game winning streak of the season.
Rivers, who has dismissed the idea of an Antetokounmpo trade throughout the season, stated:
“I’m glad that it’s over.”
However, in reality, it is not.
play1:36Stephen A.: Giannis giving Bucks more control than they deserve
Stephen A. Smith asserts that Giannis Antetokounmpo is granting the Bucks more control than they merit concerning his trade discussions.
The two parties are postponing conversations about the future of the franchise star until the summer, sources informed ESPN.
Antetokounmpo has one year left on a three-year extension he signed in 2023, along with a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season. He will be eligible to sign a four-year contract extension through the 2030-31 season worth up to $275 million in October. His intentions regarding that contract will ultimately dictate whether his future remains in Milwaukee.
However, a more immediate concern for the Bucks is brewing in the background.
After Antetokounmpo’s children departed the court on Friday, the two-time MVP commenced a pregame shooting routine for the third time that week, a routine that has intensified with each passing day.
When Antetokounmpo strained his right calf on January 23, marking his second calf injury of the season, he estimated a recovery period of four to six weeks. Although the Bucks did not provide a specific timeline for his return, sources indicated to ESPN that Antetokounmpo might be aiming for a comeback on the shorter end of his projected timeline: four weeks from his initial injury would be February 20, the team’s first game after the All-Star break.
Following a largely stationary workout on Tuesday, by Friday he was refining his post-up skills in the paint. He moved his feet from one side of the lane to the other in front of a trainer to assess his mobility.
He has publicly stated his intention to play when healthy, and Rivers has reiterated the same: the organization has no plans to shut him down.
This raises the next uncomfortable question for the Bucks: Is it more advantageous to satisfy their star and rush toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race, hoping for an improbable run? Or is it wiser to shut down their star, secure a top draft pick, acquire additional draft assets, and then reassess the situation together this summer? Despite winning three consecutive games, Milwaukee currently sits at No. 12 in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Charlotte Hornets by two games for the final play-in tournament spot.
The Bucks’ record of 21-29 is presently the eighth worst in the league, which would provide them an opportunity for their first lottery pick since 2016 (Thon Maker, No. 10).
If the team remains outside the play-in tournament, it is incentivized to optimize its lottery odds in what is expected to be a deep 2026 draft class (the Bucks possess the lesser pick between their own or that of the 14-40 New Orleans Pelicans; the better of the two picks will be sent to the Atlanta Hawks).
Rivers acknowledged that the Bucks have discussed their draft pick potential.
“The first priority for us is to get Giannis back and healthy,” he stated. “After that, everything will be determined.”
Antetokounmpo’s return to the lineup will undoubtedly enhance a struggling Bucks team. They are 15-15 with him in the lineup this season and 6-14 without him. However, the more Antetokounmpo plays in the latter half of the season, the more he could jeopardize the team’s chances of constructing a contender around him again by diminishing the Bucks’ prospects of securing a high draft pick, especially with teams in proximity with similar records—such as the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies—making moves at the trade deadline to weaken in the short term.
A higher draft pick is even more crucial for a Bucks team with limited resources to enhance its roster around Antetokounmpo. Starting on draft night, the Bucks will have three tradable first-round picks, in 2026, 2031, and 2033.
“Everything they do is in service of Antetokounmpo,” a Western Conference executive informed ESPN. “It will definitely be in their best interest to aim for a draft pick, but if Giannis wants to pursue a play-in spot, they’ll strive for that.”
FOR NOW, THE Bucks have not indicated any intention of moving on from this season. The team is exploring the buyout market to strengthen its roster and has added Cam Thomas, who was recently released by the Brooklyn Nets, in pursuit of the postseason.
“I don’t believe our season is lost,” Bucks center Myles Turner remarked in the locker room on Friday. “It’s a two-month sprint after the All-Star break. Anything can happen.”
It may be feasible for the Bucks to satisfy both interests. The Dallas Mavericks reached the play-in tournament last season as the No. 10 seed, defeating the Sacramento Kings before falling to the Grizzlies ahead of the first round. A month later, thanks to some lottery luck, they secured the No. 1 pick and changed the trajectory of their franchise by selecting Cooper Flagg.
The objective for the Bucks and general manager Jon Horst is not only to maintain the team’s streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances but also to demonstrate to Antetokounmpo that he has a chance to contend for a second championship in Milwaukee. Following their 2021 NBA title, the Bucks have only won one playoff series.
Horst has previously made moves to persuade Antetokounmpo to sign two extensions: in 2020, after acquiring Jrue Holiday, and again in 2023 following a significant trade to bring in Damian Lillard. Last summer, the Bucks made a drastic decision to waive Lillard and create the cap space to sign Turner to continue showing Antetokounmpo they were committed to building a contender.
“Being on a team with Giannis all these years, it’s like an annual occurrence,” stated Portis, who has spent six seasons with the Bucks alongside Antetokounmpo. “You just have to be ready for it. As soon as May arrives and our season concludes, it comes right back. It’s something you can’t escape, really. It’s just part of the process. So it’s off for now, but it will be determined later.”
