The NBA rumor mill has been swirling around the Milwaukee Bucks this season, recently heating up as the trade deadline approaches. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of the team due to injury, but that hasn’t stopped speculations that a trade could be on the cards for the franchise icon.
Lately, NBA insider Jake Fischer explained why it might be more likely a trade gets done next offseason, particularly on draft day, rather than in the next couple of weeks for Milwaukee.
Fisher reported this on Marc Stein’s Substack. He wrote:
“Said one league source particularly well-versed in Bucks matters: ‘This is shaping up to be a draft-day kind of thing.’ Said another: ‘It’s happening.’ Meaning a trade in conjunction with the draft if not now.”
Jake Fisher also talked about what the Milwaukee Bucks stand to gain by waiting until the draft to get something done.
“Waiting until after the NBA’s lottery drawing in May to truly launch into the process of parting with their Face of the Franchise via trade would at least enable the Bucks to know exactly what potential trade partners can offer in terms of 2026 draft capital,” he reported.
“Antetokounmpo and agent Alex Saratsis would wield the very real threat of leaving town after just one season, likely dissuading certain teams from pursuing a Giannis trade,” he also noted, in the scenario that the Bucks sent the star somewhere he did not want to go.
But overall, there is clearly much left to sort out on the Antetokounpo front before the current season is over. The NBA trade deadline is set for February 5 and it remains to be seen if a surprise trade will eventually happen.
