The Milwaukee Bucks‘ elimination from the playoffs and Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury immediately sparked NBA rumors about a Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. While the Bucks aren’t shopping the perennial MVP candidate, there is reportedly a scenario where they would be open to a move.
During an appearance on the ALL NBA podcast, insider Marc Stein addressed the situation by noting that Antetokounmpo’s value financially is so high that the Bucks aren’t going to trade him willingly. However, if he comes to them and asks for a trade, that’s where the organization could be more receptive to a deal.
“I don’t think Giannis himself does not want to go to the Bucks and say ‘trade me’. But next year there’s no way with Damian Lillard carrying a salary of nearly 60 million they don’t have control of their own first round pick till 2031, they don’t have a pathway to build a contender around him at this point. But the rumbles that you always hear are that just having Giannis is so important to them financially. They’re not going to trade him unless he pushes it.”
Marc Stein on the Milwaukee Bucks’ situation with Giannis Antetokounmpo
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (ESPN): 30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 6.5 APG, 60.1% FG, 1.2 BPG
At this point, Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade. The 30-year-old forward has proven loyal to the organization that drafted him, sticking with them as many of his peers around the league demanded trades. However, there’s at least some reason to believe that could change.
Coming off his sixth consecutive All-NBA First Team selection, Antetokounmpo certainly recognizes the Bucks roster isn’t good enough to win a championship. Milwaukee also doesn’t have the draft capital or the financial flexibility to make real improvements to the roster this summer.
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo contract (Spotrac): $54.125 million cap hit (2025-’26), $56.456 million cap hit (2026-’27), $62.786 million player option in 2027
Purely from a basketball perspective, a trade is in everyone’s best interest. The Bucks could kickstart a rebuild, trading Antetokounmpo to a team like the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder for future draft picks and young players. It would give Antetokounmpo the opportunity to play for a perennial championship contender and Milwaukee could hit the reset button.
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However, there’s far too much money at stake for the organization to make that move on its own. Barring Antetokounmpo coming forward and requesting a trade, a deal still seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.
