Bucks Expected to Wait Until Offseason to Decide on Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
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League executives increasingly believe the Milwaukee Bucks will postpone any decision on trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo until the summer, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.
Front office in no rush
General manager Jon Horst is said to be weighing multiple scenarios and wants to ensure the club secures maximum value. Three sources who spoke with ESPN predicted Milwaukee will keep Antetokounmpo past Thursday’s trade deadline, giving the organization time to evaluate lottery results and offseason offers.
“I’m just not sure why it wouldn’t make sense to wait,” an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN, citing the clearer draft picture available in June.
Summer packages could improve
Several potential suitors will be able to sweeten proposals after the season. The New York Knicks, currently unable to trade any of their own first-round selections, could offer two of them (2026 and 2033) this summer. The Miami Heat, who can move two first-rounders now, would be able to dangle as many as four—one of them conditional—in June.
Injury and draft positioning
Antetokounmpo remains sidelined indefinitely with a calf strain. If Milwaukee opts to boost its 2026 draft odds—when it will keep the more favorable pick between its own and New Orleans’—holding on to the forward and shutting him down could aid that strategy.
Teams linked to the superstar
Lakers: The Ringer’s Howard Beck told “The Zach Lowe Show” that Los Angeles intrigues Antetokounmpo. The Lakers, however, can send out only one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) before the deadline but could expand to three (2026, 2031, 2033) in the offseason.
76ers: A Thursday report suggested the nine-time All-Star likes the idea of teaming with Tyrese Maxey, yet league sources told PHLY Sports the Sixers are not expected to pursue him and will not part with rookie guard VJ Edgecombe.
Raptors: Conversations between Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange and league insiders indicated Milwaukee would insist on Scottie Barnes in any Toronto deal. One executive floated an alternate package built around four first-rounders, three pick swaps, and prospects Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamal Shead, though both scenarios were labeled long shots.
Extension complicates talks
On ESPN’s “Hoop Collective” podcast, Windhorst noted interested teams must also decide whether to offer Antetokounmpo a four-year extension projected at $275 million when he becomes eligible in October. One unnamed club capable of presenting a “compelling” offer told ESPN it is hesitant to commit that amount starting with the star’s age-33 season.
The Bucks have given no public timetable for a decision, but prevailing sentiment around the league is that Antetokounmpo’s future will remain unresolved at least through Thursday’s deadline and possibly well into the offseason.
Source: HoopsRumors
