Jason Burgos
A top Milwaukee Bucks reporter claims that a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is not a guarantee next week, and there is a route to him sticking around with the organization on a new long-term deal.
With the NBA Finals officially in the rearview, teams around the NBA are pivoting to their offseason improvement plans. For several playoff contenders, trying to pull off a blockbuster trade for the Bucks legend is at the top of their to-do list. And after passing on making a deal in February, Milwaukee is expected to complete a trade as soon as next week.
However, for all the speculation over the last year, on several occasions, the organization and Antetokounmpo have claimed they would prefer to avoid a divorce so the 10-time All-Star can finish his career in Wisconsin. But after so much talk, it would surprise NBA fans if he isn’t traded this offseason. Yet, there is still a pathway to the two-time NBA MVP staying with the organization he has played all 13 of his NBA seasons with.
Could Giannis end up staying with the Milwaukee Bucks for 2026-27 and beyond?
In a new column from The Athletic’s Zach Harper, the NBA expert asked Bucks insider Eric Nehm about the possibility of Antetokounmpo signing a new extension. Although he doesn’t believe it’s likely, Nehm laid out a plan for how the Bucks can persuade their greatest player to put pen to paper on a new contract.
“On draft night, they can trade three first-round picks, and they have enough contracts to make a trade for another star player,” he claimed. “They could use the full non-taxpayer mid-level on another contributor. If they trade future picks away again and stay on the path that they’ve been on since 2018, they could get back to being a playoff team. The Bucks need to prove they’re serious about trying to contend before he would sign an extension.”
Is Antetokounmpo signing an extension likely after all the trade speculation over the last year? Probably not. But it can’t be completely ruled out. Once they trade him, the Bucks could right back into the mediocrity they were stuck in before he arrived in 2013. That’s why they haven’t rushed into a trade. He still has a couple of prime years left to make a serious run at a title with an improved roster. And lastly, he has said on more than one occasion that he prefers to stay in Milwaukee.
