Bucks weigh four deadline options as Antetokounmpo’s future hangs in balance
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With the Feb. 5 trade deadline less than three weeks away, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves at a crossroads. The club sits 17-24, 11th in the Eastern Conference, and must decide whether to bolster the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, reshuffle supporting pieces, or consider an even more dramatic course.
The mood swing
On Jan. 9 at Crypto.com Arena, Antetokounmpo was all smiles after a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers, posing in a signed purple No. 23 LeBron James jersey while teammates laughed. Six days later, the atmosphere at Fiserv Forum was starkly different. A 133-100 loss to a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team – missing Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert – drew boos from home fans, which Antetokounmpo mockingly echoed after an and-1 in the third quarter.
“We can’t be complacent,” the two-time MVP said that night. “We haven’t done anything.”
Since returning from injury on Dec. 27, Antetokounmpo has stressed urgency both publicly and privately. Milwaukee is only 5-5 during that span and has yet to record a three-game winning streak this season. Head coach Doc Rivers called outside reaction an “over-reaction,” but league chatter about the Bucks’ direction keeps growing.
Milwaukee’s four possible approaches
1. Stand pat for the rest of 2025-26
The roster was built to maximize Antetokounmpo – 3-point shooters flank a rim-protecting stretch center – and the numbers offer some support. With Antetokounmpo on the court, the Bucks are 14-13 (.518) and post an offensive rating of 125.9 points per 100 possessions, which would lead the NBA. Even so, their 116.4 defensive rating with him mirrors the team’s overall mark that ranks 20th.
2. Make marginal upgrades
For the first time since 2019-20, Milwaukee is below the luxury-tax line and not hard-capped, allowing the club to absorb multi-year contracts another team might off-load. League sources say Miami’s Andrew Wiggins ($30 million player option in 2026-27) and Charlotte’s Miles Bridges ($22.8 million in 2026-27) fit that description.
Names the Bucks have discussed, according to ESPN reporting, include Zach LaVine and Malik Monk of Sacramento and Portland forward Jerami Grant. The aim: survive minutes without Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee is 3-11 when he sits; its 107.6 offensive rating in those games would rank last in the league.
Eleven Bucks earn between $2.2 million and $5.1 million, while Myles Turner ($25.3 million), Bobby Portis ($13.5 million) and Kyle Kuzma ($21.8 million next year) are the largest movable salaries — but all three play key rotation roles.
3. Author a major shake-up
General manager Jon Horst has not been shy about bold moves: firing Mike Budenholzer after the 2023 first-round exit, acquiring (and later waiving) Damian Lillard following his Achilles tear, and dismissing coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start in January 2024. Yet options to add another star are limited. Milwaukee controls only one tradeable first-round pick before June — either 2031 or 2032 — and rival executives believe it will be offered only for a high-end player. Additional picks in 2026 and 2033 become movable on draft night, potentially widening the summer market.
4. Trade Giannis and reset
The most drastic scenario — moving Antetokounmpo — has not been entertained internally, sources told ESPN. Executives around the league doubt a blockbuster could be assembled in three weeks, especially after former All-Star Trae Young fetched only Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum in December.
“I’m not sure who goes all-in right now,” an Eastern Conference scout said. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has reiterated loyalty to Milwaukee while leaving the door ajar should circumstances change.
What comes next
Milwaukee’s front office continues to scour the market for help, insisting Antetokounmpo will remain off limits. “We always manage to pull something off,” one team source said. Whether that something merely tweaks the rotation or forecasts a franchise-altering summer will be determined before the Feb. 5 buzzer.
Source: ESPN
