Bucks Navigate Turbulent Off-Season as Giannis Denies Owner Meeting
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On Sept. 29, Milwaukee’s media day for the 2025-26 season opened with Giannis Antetokounmpo speaking from a dimly lit room in Greece, where he was isolating after a positive COVID test. The two-time MVP appeared on a projector inside Fiserv Forum and joked about looking “good on camera,” briefly easing tension that had hung over an uneasy summer.
An hour earlier, team governor Wes Edens had told reporters he met with Antetokounmpo in June and received assurances of the star’s long-term commitment. When the forward was asked about that conversation, he paused and replied, “I … I really, I cannot recall that meeting,” a clip that quickly spread across social media and underscored the franchise’s uncertain footing.
Salary-Cap Gamble Clears Room for Turner
The Bucks’ most controversial move came in July, when they stretched the remaining $113 million on Damian Lillard’s deal over five years. The decision, made after the 36-year-old guard tore an Achilles tendon in the 2025 first round, created enough cap space to sign free-agent center Myles Turner. Milwaukee’s front office viewed Turner, 29, as a healthier fit next to Antetokounmpo and insists the move was “a basketball decision,” according to team sources.
The stretch provision ended Lillard’s two-season stay that featured consecutive first-round exits. Four years after capturing the 2021 championship, only Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis remain from that roster. Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez have all departed, leaving Antetokounmpo as the Bucks’ lone former All-Star.
Trade Talk and a Timetable
A week after media day, ESPN reported preliminary discussions between Milwaukee and New York involving Antetokounmpo; sources said the talks never advanced. Still, the 30-year-old acknowledged he could “change my mind” within six or seven months if the Bucks do not contend. He has two seasons remaining on his contract after 2025-26, with a player option for 2027, and will be eligible to sign an extension next summer.
General manager Jon Horst, who received an extension in April, maintained the off-season felt “no different than any other.” In previous crossroads, Horst added Holiday in 2020 and flipped Holiday for Lillard in 2023; this summer he waived Lillard to acquire Turner. Milwaukee owns its 2031 and 2032 first-round picks and is under the luxury-tax line, preserving limited but useful flexibility.
Heavy Workload from Opening Night
Expectations for 2025-26 are modest. ESPN BET listed Milwaukee with the eighth-best odds to win the East. Antetokounmpo delivered 37 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes during the Oct. 21 season opener, a 133-120 win over Washington, but his usage rate approached 49%, well above last season’s league-leading 35.9% by LaMelo Ball. The victory was tempered by a severe ankle injury to starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr.
Five-Out Offense Takes Shape
Head coach Doc Rivers debuted a five-out scheme in preseason, with Antetokounmpo orchestrating an attack surrounded by Turner, Gary Trent, Porter and sharpshooter A.J. Green, who signed a four-year, $45 million extension. In an Oct. 12 exhibition in Chicago, Milwaukee attempted 48 three-pointers—20 went in—during a 127-121 win. The Bucks averaged 42.6 threes in four preseason games, climbing to 46.5 in the two that featured Antetokounmpo.
Milwaukee led the NBA in three-point percentage last season at 38.7% but ranked 18th in attempts (36.6). Rivers believes the new alignment will “create more” opportunities, while Antetokounmpo calls the spacing “very, very dangerous.”
Looking Toward 2026
Privately, those close to Antetokounmpo say ownership must “hold its feet to the fire” before the summer of 2026. Publicly, the former Finals MVP keeps his message simple: “I’m here and I’m committed to this team,” he told reporters, adding that winning a playoff series is the next benchmark.
The Bucks, now short on proven co-stars but flush with shooting, open the campaign convinced they can quiet outside speculation by piling up victories. Whether that is enough to keep their franchise cornerstone in Milwaukee will come into focus long before his player option arrives.
Source: ESPN.com
