The Milwaukee Bucks have told rival clubs they are ready to discuss trades for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as the NBA draft combine begins in Chicago, league and team sources said.
According to those sources, Milwaukee plans to keep the same asking price it set at February’s deadline: either an elite young player or a significant package of draft picks.
Ownership sets June timetable
Co-owner Jimmy Haslam said the franchise expects a resolution before the June 23-24 draft. “Sometime over the next six or seven weeks we’ll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s going to play somewhere else,” Haslam told reporters Wednesday while introducing new head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Fellow co-owner Wes Edens echoed that stance earlier this year, stating, “One of two things will happen: Either he will be extended, or he’ll be traded.”
Star’s preference unchanged
Antetokounmpo, 31, informed the Bucks last year that he was open to leaving, expressing particular interest in the New York Knicks. His position has not shifted, sources added, and Milwaukee revisited trade talks at the February deadline without reaching an agreement.
Season of turmoil
The 2025-26 Bucks finished 32-50, missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Antetokounmpo appeared in 36 games because of groin, calf and knee issues, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Late-season tension escalated when the forward prompted a league investigation into the team’s decision to sit him with a knee injury.
Potential bidders lining up
Front-office executives expect strong interest from teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. Each club’s playoff performance and draft position—Golden State holds pick No. 11, Miami No. 13—could shape their offers.
Contract leverage
Antetokounmpo is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract and holds a player option for 2027. He becomes eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension on Oct. 1 if he remains in Milwaukee, or six months after a trade elsewhere—giving him leverage to steer any deal toward a destination where he would commit long term.
Parallel paths for Milwaukee
General manager Jon Horst is also exploring roster upgrades that might persuade Antetokounmpo to stay. Milwaukee owns the 10th pick in June, two additional future first-rounders and several tradable contracts, including those of Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma.
Antetokounmpo has spent all 13 of his NBA seasons with the Bucks, leading the franchise to its first championship in 50 years in 2021 and holding every major team record.
Source: ESPN
