It has been an injury-plagued season for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has appeared in just 36 of the Bucks‘ 68 games due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues and is currently sidelined due to a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
With just 14 games left in the regular season and Milwaukee now six-and-a-half games out of a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks have made it clear to Antetokounmpo that they believe it would be in both parties’ best interest to have him sit out the rest of the season and focus on getting healthy for 2026/27, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
However, Antetokounmpo isn’t on board with the Bucks plan and has let the team know he wants to get back on the court immediately once he has recovered from his latest injury, according to Nehm.
Confirming Nehm’s reporting, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links) says there have been multiple meetings about Antetokounmpo’s status within the past 24 hours and that the two sides disagree about the best path forward. In an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Charania added that the 31-year-old has been “adamant” about his desire to return this season.
The Bucks must tread especially carefully with Antetokounmpo due to their desire to keep him happy in the hopes of reaching an agreement on a long-term extension with him when he becomes eligible this October. Milwaukee reportedly entertained trade offers for Giannis prior to last month’s deadline, but never came close to making a deal involving the two-time MVP, who didn’t request a trade and has repeatedly stated that his preference would be to stick with the Bucks if they have a roster capable of contending for another championship.
While they don’t want to upset their franchise player, the Bucks presumably recognize they have no path to a playoff spot this spring and would be better off sliding a little further down the lottery standings. They don’t technically control their own 2026 first-round pick, but the Bucks will receive the least favorable of their own selection and the Pelicans’ pick. At 28-40, Milwaukee remains several games ahead of New Orleans (23-46) in the standings, so even the least favorable of those two first-rounders should be a top-10 selection.
Of course, shutting down Antetokounmpo for the final few weeks of the season would also ensure that he gets a head-start on getting back to 100% health, whereas having him play in meaningless games in late March and early April would put him at risk of re-aggravating one of his previous injuries or suffering a more significant one.
Whether the Bucks plan to revisit trade talks involving their star forward or try to continue reshaping the roster around him during the offseason, having him fully healthy would be in the team’s best interest going forward.
Didn’t Giannis say recently he realizes he’s getting older now and needs to be a little more cautious and thoughtful regarding his health? So much for that.
Look, I admire his competitive spirit and dedication, especially when resting would be the easiest route to take. That said, those traits shouldn’t overrule reason and the fact of the matter is he has had a litany of lower body injuries this year and would now be coming off a knee issue. It’s also potentially better for the franchise if he rests (albeit slightly).
So as much as I deplore tanking, this is one of those circumstances where it is indeed prudent to shut things down and focus on next season.
Yep, it’s best for both the franchise and the player.
This is going to be a messy breakup this summer.
Messy AF
Giannis is the Aaron Rodgers of the NBA.
Only kind of tanking he wants to do is his trade value apparently
*grabs popcorn*
I almost feel like this is the opposite. Like maybe he wants the chance to go into the off-season showing on the court that he’s healthy, while the bucks wouldn’t mind a potential cloud hanging over his health status, so they can point to “depressed” offers like “hey, we weren’t offered what we were willing to trade you for.”
Obv I’m just an outsider guessing and wondering wth is going on though.
Like sands thru the hourglass…..
You just gave me a great memory of being sick and staying home from school with my grandma when that used to come on lol
“Go ahead, but you have to make it sound like I was against it.”
Just because they can’t make the playoffs, doesn’t mean the games are “meaningless.” He wants to play basketball AND people pay money to see these games. They are not meaningless.