A meeting has been set up between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks management that could affect the future of the franchise and possibly set off one of the hottest NBA trade sweepstakes in years. According to veteran reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter video link), Bucks officials contacted Antetokounmpo and his representatives Saturday morning, and the parties will get together “mid next week.”
It’s an event that could have huge ramifications across the NBA landscape if the team isn’t able to convince Antetokounmpo that he can compete for more championships in Milwaukee. There has been speculation for weeks that the two-time MVP might ask for a trade, and a report on Monday indicated that he has become open-minded about pursuing opportunities elsewhere.
The Bucks’ challenge of convincing Antetokounmpo that they can field a title-worthy team around him became more difficult after they were ousted in the first round for the third consecutive year and Damian Lillard was lost with a torn left Achilles.
The injury may keep Lillard out of action for all of next season, but his $54.1MM salary will remain on the books and he holds a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27, making it difficult for the front office to acquire any more high-priced talent.
Rumors have been flying about Antetokounmpo’s potential next destination, with a report this week suggesting the Rockets and Spurs are in position to make the best offers for the two-time MVP. That came out before San Antonio moved up to second in Monday night’s draft lottery, creating another valuable trade chip that could be included in any offer. Houston is also awash in young talent and draft assets and may be willing to include All-Star center Alperen Sengun as part of a package to Milwaukee.
The Nets, Heat and Hawks have also been mentioned as possible suitors, while the Pelicans could get involved either directly or as a third team to facilitate a deal because they have the ability to swap picks with Milwaukee in both 2026 and 2027 (top-four protected).
The Thunder are another team with a large collection of draft assets, and they could be motivated to make a play for Antetokounmpo if they fall short of a title after winning 68 games this season.
Antetokounmpo developed into one of the greatest players in franchise history after being selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. He was the cornerstone of the 2021 team that brought Milwaukee its first NBA title in 50 years, but that group has largely been broken up with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton already being traded away.
Anyone who trades for Antetokounmpo would be getting an all-time great who’s still in his prime without having to worry about re-signing him right away. At age 30, he’s a finalist for MVP honors this year after averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games and shooting 60.1% from the field. He’s under contract for $54.1MM next season and $58.5MM in 2026/27 while possessing a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28.
Gotta trade him. No choice, even if he doesn’t demand it. Only way to hold together a competitive team long term. Not a fan of what San Antonio can offer as salary match though. Houston a little better if they throw in Sengun.
Tell you what, if I’m the Lakers I see if they’ll do Giannis for Luka straight up.
Well if they want to win the lottery next year they trade Giannnis to LA.
The bucks don’t have their own draft picks. Tanking does nothing for the franchise
That would be hilarious. And also quite possibly a fair trade. Fascinating to think about.
Giannis to GSW its the best move they can make, have Steph hand the reigns to Giannis and build around him, nonstop contention. Window stays open.
LMAO. Best for GS. Not good for Milwaukee. Get out of here with that trash take.
@washatkc – so you agree with my premise “Giannis to GSW its the best move they can make”, then call it a “trash take” – what a worthless, L reply.
SMH just shut up next time lil bro – my haters who always upvote any hate replies I get – you are trash and make this site worse. Shut up too, you dont know ball…..
The take would be OKC/SAS/HOU which have all been rumored as less interested than one might think are out. So if those 3 are out almost all other contenders besides GSW have almost no picks because they have all gone all in. GSW are one of the only contenders with a full assortment of draft capital where you can probably get to 5 unprotected 1sts and 3 swaps.
Giannis doesnt want to go to a rebuilding team like UTH/WAS that has assets, and you wouldnt ever trade him to teams like Clips/Suns/Knicks etc that have nothing left to trade, so if SAS wont attach #2 in this draft, and OKC doesnt want to trade 3-4 of their rotation pieces for one who really screws up the cap sheet moving forward, and HOU needs shooting and a primary scorer more than Giannis so his fits worse with their roster…
The point is that GSW can put together a true “star” worthy package unlike most other contending teams, and still leave most of the roster in place to build around the Giannis/Steph combo.
Just know bc of base year compensation rules there’s no legal way for bucks to take Kuminga in a sign and trade so through that out,
It can be possible since a lot of those things are only checked on after the deal is completed. If your doing a total teardown in MIL because Giannis is leaving you may let some FA walk and lose the cap holds.
You can swing a trade where Kuminga goes to MIL but the other matching pieces go elsewhere so that the Bucks send out 54M and take back say 30M on Kumingas new deal. If they also waive the cap hold on Lopez that takes them below the cap Im pretty sure. They are already could be below the cap if Portis opts out.
But this is why 3 team trades are easy to say and a lot harder to pull off ! Nets are the lone and only team thar can take on major salary in trade ! They are the only team that can make up the difference in what Kuminga cost a new team and that it only counts half for warriors matching purposes but what are they getting out of it! They can sign Kuminga to a outright offer sheet if they wanted him and if not they will want the same picks from warriors bucks will want themselves if they are taking on like buddy hield, Moses moody etc!
Trade is just flat our easier without kuminga involved
Some other teams can create cap space if they want its just a little harder. Also the cap situations may shift based on other moves shifting salary around with lots of teams having exceptions they can absorb contracts into.
The Nets may want to S&T for Kuminga, since they wanted him in a Cam deal, so that they send assets for Kuminga. Moody and Hield go with a boat load of picks to MIL. Start the season with the super size defensive team of Steph/Butler/Giannis/Green/Post. If Post can further develop his defense, which develops slowest for bigs, and provide spacing its a lineup with nobody under 6’6″ but Steph.
Thing is nets can sign Kuminga to an offer sheet and not seen bucks whar they feel they would need to move Giannis! Again why it’s easy to say 3 team trades are easy but most of them break down
And GSW will just match. If they arent trading him they will just keep him for at least the first half the season and deal him at the deadline if they dont like the fit.
Exactly where I’m gettitn at! It’s best for both to Compromise come to a fair long term deal and revaluate at the deadline!
I was just pushing back at the idsa kuminga in a sign and trade for Giannis is a no brainer when it’s near impossible unless nets using their cap space to make up the unbalanced salaries for whatever reason want spare parts ! I don’t even know if they want kuminga let alone buddy hield or Moses Moody
Gotta match salary somehow so… I figure they would probably rather use Kuminga and secondary pieces as the matching over Butler. Although Butler + picks does get them younger.
I understand that but again whatever Kuminga signs for say 30 million goes fully on the bucks cao but counts only half for the warriors 15 million ! So they will have to send out like at least 35 million in salary only bucks can’t take all that back! Nets are the only team that has the cap space to absorb the gap but I don’t know if they want Kuminga at all or let alone taking on spare parts for free
for Giannis? It doesn’t work for the Bucks and those picks aren’t going to be in the lottery for the foreseeable future.
GS has nothing of interest to offer, either salary match or picks. The field is really small. It’s SA, Houston, Nets, Thunder, and maybe one or two others. Maybe Hawks in a three way where someone takes Trae for picks.
The Nets aren’t a match. As fas as SA, are they going to include Castle and the 2nd pick (Dylan Harper)? They would also have to include Vassell and Barnes to make the money work. That’s a guard heavy package, but could do it.
So maybe Spurs, Rockets and I think the Blazers match up. I don’t see anyone else in it.
Its also do you want to shift the timeline away from Wemby/Harper/Castle more towards a 30 year old win now piece. I do think SAS will at least be interested.
Rockets are a bad fit especially if your sending either or both of Green/FVV since a team with almost no shooting will have even less. I think they would be a much better fit for Booker/Brown.
Blazers are a bad team that doesnt meet the requirements for Giannis to be able to compete. They also have some truly terrible salary matching that the Bucks would charge extra to take. Like nobody wants the Grant/Ayton contracts you have to pay me multiple firsts just to take Grants deal as matching on top of the package for GA.
Nets are too far from contending to be an option, although with how things in the east have gone…
If they traded Shaedon Sharpe, Camara & Ayton and the 11th pick, the Blazers would be left with Clingan, Giannis, Avdija, Simons, Scoot, Grant, Kris Murray, Thybulle, & Rbt Williams.
This is the problem for any team taking a swing at Giannis, the talent cost is going to be steep and will make it tough to go all the way.
Its why you need a pick heavy package from a veteran team ready to compete now.
@seamaholic 2 – this is a bad take. GSW has nothing to offer? They were 1 injury away from the WCF you clown. If the entire roster minus Curry is on the table, that’s a LOT of pieces to move.
Just a clueless take from you. Be better.
@seam
Hawks are already down multiple firsts dude. GSW have 4 1sts 3 swaps + Kuminga, so they have the full package of their own picks. They also could send Kuminga or Butler or both to 3rd teams and add what they get back to the deal for Giannis. Its either Kuminga moving in a S&T or Butler salary wise to match.
Outside Hou/OKC, that have both been rumored to be cooler on getting Giannis, no other playoff team besides GSW/ORL has anything close to the full package of picks.
GSW doesn’t have the assets or picks to win a bidding war like Houston OKC could
OKC could offer Holgrem as the center piece with other players like dieng and topic recent lottery picks and a plethora of draft picks that GSW has no chance of beating.
Okay, but who’s saying Houston or OKC will even engage in a bidding war? They certainly will not and have said so themselves. If your whole retort comes down to “could” and not “will”, then you have no point.
You keep playing video games, I am talking real life.
Who knows what will actually happen ! Giannis probably will not ask for a trade to the warriors and warriors only and then bucks just got to take what they can get !
Very sure Giannis will work with bucks on a list of a handful of acceptable destinations!
The most likely scenario is Giannis will not be a warrior, lakers or clippe any time soon
@noel
What actually might happen is Giannis says he will go to GSW if Kerr is not the HC, and Lacob the moron still wont fire him!
He becomes available every team will pursue. If you think GSW is gonna wind up him you’re dreaming just like you thought jimmy butler would lead them to a championship lmao.
@Easy as 1 2 3
“If you think GSW is gonna wind up with him you’re dreaming”
You literally said this about KD joining GSW.
Opinion: invalidated. You don’t know ball.
Enjoy missing out on Giannis like GSW is enjoying missing out on a ship this year.
I like how you’re comparing KD SIGNING with the warriors to TRADING for Giannis
Lmao you so smart. Davey doesn’t even know what the words signing and trading mean.
Can say the same Thing snd say you have no clue whatsoever if Giannis is gonna demand a trade to onkg warriors which is what they would need for it to happen ! I know you want him to and think he should but deep down you honestly don’t know ! You don’t actually have any clue if he would try to stop a trade to any team !
Raptors picks and young players plus he gets out of the us
Center — Brook Lopez
PF —- Jabari Smith Jr
SF —- Kyle Kuzma
PG —- Dame
SG —- Jalen Green
Cam Whitmore, #10 pick, a future #1
Bucks are rebuilt in one year. On one trade.
Portis, Prince, Trent Jr, Sims, Porter Jr, Connaughton
With that #10 pick you can draft a big or a PG.
Queen or Jakucionis ….. I do it.
That is a lottery team
It’d maybe be one of the worst teams in the league. Dame couldn’t win anything his last couple of years in Portland and they had a stronger supporting cast. Now he’s coming off an Achilles injury.
A lottery team that doesn’t have a lottery pick next off season.
That team finished 48-24 and fith in the East.
Now you add 4 players for Giannis. That 10th pick could be ROY. Easy a playoff team.
straight butt squad u listed there gm of the year candidate
Put the mirror away. That should help ……
Bucks probably get 3 1st round picks with Smith, Green, and Whitmore. Bucks would want Eason instead of Whitmore. Bucks would trade Portis immediately to another team.
Portis is a FA.. or has a player option that he will almost certainly decline.
He has a player option. i would think he takes the player option since he missed so many games last year. If Giannis is traded before teh option takes effect he will decline it and move on.
I think very highly of Smith and Green and that 10th pick. Eason is solid. I think Rockets would want to keep him with Giannis coming. Whitmore has a future. Its his attitude thats a question.
What is the media’s love affair with Antetokounmpo trade speculation? There has been zero indication Giannis wants to leave or that the Bucks will trade him. This meeting is to simply ask his thoughts on team issues… and without Giannis, there is no team.
Maybe the fact that rumors have indicated that he’s open minded to pursuing opportunities elsewhere. Giannis himself head said he’s committed to staying in Milwaukee as long as he feels the team has a chance to win a championship.
There’s plenty of indications that this team has run it’s course.
The Bucks have been losing money the last two seasons trying to keep this team together and it would be hard enough to put together a contending roster with Portis being a potential free agent and Lopez being an outright free agent but now Lillard will be gone for most of or more likely all of next season to rehab so that they have virtually no chance next season.
The season after? An older Lillard coming off an ACL injury has a good chance of not being able to perform at the level he once did. There’s no one coming in as the Bucks have traded all their picks for years for Holiday and Lillard. Giannis is getting older, how much time does he got left as impact player?
“fact that rumors indicated” is exactly what I’m referring to… you can’t get facts from rumors … it’s all speculation for the sake of selling advertisements.
The rumors come from the players agent. They arent explicitly sourced, but we all know where theyre from.
The ones that are weirder are when its a team source about some thinking of the team. Those can sometimes be a GM leaking real intel for a reason, but it can also be a lower level employee talking on background with a reporter where the impression they are giving is clouded by their own preferences in the situation.
The press hates small market teams having star players. They do this every year.
The league is leading this and enlisting the media to carry the water. They want to be able to market their stars on good teams, not rebuilding teams. It’s a horrific product.
Giannis and his reps are leading this. People in the press would have been talking about it, but it wouldnt be nearly the same push if not for Giannis and his camp leaking that he is open to moving and the info about the meetings with the Bucks.
Giannis is driving this train dude, and no amount of media pressure is influencing his choice. He wants to compete, and sees that as a remote possibility in MIL. So either they pull a rabbit out of a hat, or he asks out like we all expect him too and the team does whats best for both him and them in the long run.
As I’ve been saying, this will be the summer of Giannis trade speculation even if the Bucks and Giannis both say he’s not going anywhere. The industry media always latches onto to a particular situation and runs with it.
Giannis has not said he is not going anywhere. Keep dreaming things up. His people have said he is open to leave. So pretty much the opposite of what your saying. The Bucks also probably want to trade Giannis, but want him to be the one wanting it or wont.
Giannis isn’t a jerk tho and so he’s not going to demand a trade and I don’t think Bucks owners want to trade him.
And again, the talent cost will be very steep, making an acquiring team very compromised.. making a deal super unlikely.
Good chance he demands a trade but better chance his list won’t be so short and limited they have to trade him for Pennies on the dollar
What are we doing?
We cant do much.
Should I leave?
Should you leave?
I guess I should.
I dont know how hardball they are going to be considering all he has done with and for them. If its a mutual situation where they are trying to steer him to a certain destination that he prefers they may get the best that team can do. I dont know how accommodating they would be willing to be to his desires. Giannis also is basically on a 2 year deal where if he doesnt want to be somewhere he will be in his pending walk year. On the flip after the trade I think at mid season he would be eligible to tear up his current option and extend for 3 more years so you could lock him up through age 35 by mid season if he is where he wants to be.
Up in the air how short the list will be where he might just say the best positioned to contend you can get me too.
Oh he gone
Thompson, Gaford, 2025 no1 for GA salaries will match when first pick salary accounts for. Ofc Mavs might add a couple more picks but this is foundation of trade
I would think that from a team like OKC you could get the salary matchup +4 first round picks.
They have many they can trade away as opposed to other teams.
Then later because those pics will be in the high 20s you could approach a team about dealing two for one and get higher? Or a rebuilding team would maybe want two guys instead of one?
The OKC picks arent as good. I think they still have one Clip pick thats unprotected, but its for like next season and the Clips dont look bad. OKC has a bunch of their own picks, but nobody thinks OKC picks will be good any time soon. Most of the picks that arent OKC are protected so they will be worth way way less.
Yes Chapman I believe that’s true and I agree with you that’s why you get 4 of them.
A rebuilding team would love to have 4 first round picks even if they’re late.., or they can package 2 of them to trade up to number 12 or number 8?
The difference between a high value unprotected pick, and a lottery protected one is like a 1:5 ratio at least. Some of the pick swaps are juicy but it doesnt net you an extra pick and requires you to keep your own to have the swap.
GSW Picks projected to be after Steph retires are some of the most valuable picks in the NBA if they are unprotected behind only teams like WAS next year, and future Suns picks.
This is a good deal for whom?? Klay is 35! And Gafford is a nice player but on what alternative universe are the Bucks considering that?
Again, I don’t think he’s getting traded, but if they had to trade GA, I think the Blazers are a good fit. I would ask for Sharpe, Camarra and the 11 pick (if it’s tradable) plus the Bucks would want their pick swaps back in 28 & 30 and Ayton to make the money even out.
V might be saying it’s a good trade for the Bucks because they get Cooper Flagg, who immediately becomes the next guy you build around.
Ah yes I missed that. Interesting but I doubt the Mavs would do that right after being constantly second guessed for dealing Luka.
Mavs already have AD who is kinda the same player so why would they want Giannis since getting Flagg they already have a strong starting 5. Their need is somebody to replace Kyrie until he is ready to come back.
Kinda worried the Mavs will snatch De’Anthony Melton off the market before the Warriors can get him tbh
Cooper is super duper valuable on par with Giannis. He is one of the 5 best prospects since LeBron, and is still going to be under below market team control for the next 9 seasons including 4 way way below. Giannis is 30 and on the super duper max 35% deal. You will have to extend Giannis soon before he starts to decline, but the deal will take him deep into his 30s. I would rather have Cooper going forward for almost every team in the league. The only exceptions would be teams able to win 2 of the next 3 titles with Giannis before the wheels come off.
absolutely not a sure thing and almost certainly will not be a Giannis all time elite level player. So it makes for great speculation to flip a #1 overall pick if you can get a Giannis.
He has one of the highest floors of any prospect ever because of his current skills. He isnt a guaranteed super star scorer, but he does just about everything else at a elite level, and those skills are more consistent and projectable.
The reason he has high value on par with Giannis is that Giannis makes the 35% max and is 30 years old. Cooper will make the rookie scale the next 4 seasons which is around an MLE. You then get him for 5 years on the fun max where it still pays him less than he should be. Avdija is one of the absolute best contracts in the NBA and most valuable. That isnt because Avdija is one of the best of the best players, its because he makes 11m in 27/28 which will be like half the MLE.
Dame and Doc…
2 desperate moves that have backfired massively…
Now they pay the price… mediocrity with a star in their prime or rebuilding…
Spurs, raps and OKC make the most sense for Giannis.
Spurs can offer #2 pick; Harper, Keldon Johnson, Vassell, Sochan , 2027 pick and 2028 pick.
Raps can offer Scottie or Quickley, Agbaji, JaKobe and 3 firsts.
OKC can offer Holmgren, Joe, K Williams, Wiggins and 3 firsts.
Those would probably be the 3 top teams that would tradefor him. I would add Rockets to the list too.
Fix the team quick. Easy but I know the management will mess everything up
Go after Jrue Holiday, Middleton, go get all the brothers of Giannis included a Lopez brother, Thon Maker and Jabari Parker
Trade out Lillard and Kuzma etc etc
Fire Doc and hire Bud or Griffin
Will the bulls make a move for him? I dont think so, bcoz this is bulls,the team with the worst owner and one of the worst fo.
Don’t have the trade ammo.
He’ll somehow end up a Laker. The Lakers simply “must” have marquee players, dahling.
lakers have nobody to trade for him unless they give up Luka.
Adam Silver can secretly maneuver a clever deal so that L.A. can still be the glamour franchise.
If the Lakers trade Luka for Flagg…lmao what an insane turn of events that would be, actual 10D chess…
Reeves has more value then Jonathan Kuminga who bucks won’t be able to take in a sign and trade even if they wsnted to !
Lakers get Giannis and Milwaukee the First pick next year, everything in the NBA is about LBJ and the Lakers, in 2019, New Orleans got Zion because of the Anthony Davis trade; this year Dallas was awarded with the first round pick because of the Luka Doncic trade and if for some reason Giannis is trade it to the Lakers for sure Milwaukee will get the first pick next year.