With the Bucks lottery-bound for the first time since 2016 and increasingly at odds with their longtime superstar forward, one source close to the team tells Shams Charania of ESPN that the state of affairs in Milwaukee is “as toxic of a team situation as any in the league.”
It’s one of many troubling quotes from team sources within Charania’s in-depth look at a nightmarish season for the Bucks, who have posted a losing record both with and without Giannis Antetokounmpo available in 2025/26.
“When your best player is one foot in, one foot out,” one team source told ESPN, “you’re not going to win.”
“The crux of the issue is feeling Giannis doesn’t want to be here on any given day,” another said.
One team source added that the Bucks have “no identity,” while multiple club sources suggested to Charania that Giannis’ uncertain future has created a tense locker-room environment over the course of the season.
Although Antetokounmpo hasn’t explicitly requested a trade out of Milwaukee, he and agent Alex Saratsis conveyed to the Bucks early in the season that it was probably time for the two sides to part ways, according to Charania, who says Giannis’ camp pursued an “amicable split” during the season, meeting with co-owners Jimmy Haslam and Wes Edens two weeks before the trade deadline to discuss how the team could “do right” by Antetokounmpo. Charania explains that both Giannis and Saratsis recalled making a handshake agreement after the star forward signed extensions in 2020 and 2023 that the two sides would work collaboratively on a trade when the time came.
“Giannis has wanted to handle this professionally by being very up front with the team,” one source with direct knowledge of the situation told ESPN. “This could have been a happy resolution but instead might end up being a nasty breakup.”
Shortly after that January meeting with ownership, Antetokounmpo was informed by general manager Jon Horst that he was engaged in trade negotiations and that the 31-year-old may not be on the Bucks’ roster by the start of the 2026/27 season.
However, not every team that spoke to the Bucks about Giannis leading up to February’s trade deadline believed they were serious about making an in-season deal. Milwaukee’s front office took days to respond to certain suitors’ messages and calls, according to Charania, though he notes that the Heat, Warriors, and Timberwolves believed Horst was operating in good faith.
While Golden State and Minnesota sensed as the deadline approached that the Bucks weren’t going to accept their offers, team sources tell ESPN that Milwaukee seriously considered Miami’s proposal, which included Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and several draft assets. Ultimately, the Bucks let the Heat know on the morning of deadline day (Feb. 5) that they wouldn’t be trading Giannis, since they believe they’ll receive stronger offers this summer, per Charania.
The Bucks’ top decision-makers have come to terms with the likelihood of an Antetokounmpo trade happening this offseason, Charania adds.
Here are a few more highlights from Charania’s in-depth story:
- While the Bucks’ disagreement with Antetokounmpo about his late-season availability following a mid-March knee injury has been well-documented, Charania provides a couple new details, writing that Giannis is still hoping to return later this week – perhaps for Friday’s home finale – and wants to share the court with his brothers Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Alex Antetokounmpo before the end of the season. Most interestingly, Charania notes that Giannis – who has been limited to 36 games this season – will miss out on a “significant” bonus in his contract with Nike that would’ve been triggered if he played in at least 41 contests.
- Guards Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. were called out by Bucks coaches after shooting a combined 9-of-27 in a blowout loss to Chicago on March 1, according to Charania, who says Rollins and Porter were directed to focus more on getting the rest of the team involved and avoiding selfish play. While the coaching staff’s message was meant to “empower” the young backcourt duo, it left the team feeling “splintered,” leading to a players-only meeting in which veteran forward Kyle Kuzma told Rollins and Porter not to worry about what their coaches had said. After the staff learned about Kuzma’s comments, he received his first DNP-CD of the season in Milwaukee’s following game, then had a conversation with head coach Doc Rivers to talk through the situation, per Charania.
- Referring to a “season-long disconnect” between Rivers and several Bucks players, Charania details how the veteran coach began one team meeting by telling his team to look up his résumé. “I took teams to the playoffs and to the championship that weren’t supposed to. I thought this was one of them,” Rivers reportedly told players during that meeting.
- Ownership is expected to make a decision on Rivers’ job status within the next week, sources tell ESPN. He has just one season left on his contract. As for Horst, the general manager was extended a year ago and still has multiple years left on his deal, but there has been “friction” between him and Antetokounmpo since the trade deadline, Charania writes.
Bucks Owners: 0/10
Doc Rivers: 1/10
Giannis: 10/10
Anyone hating on Giannis just hates the NBA.
I might’ve given Doc a 1 before I read this piece (or highlights of the ESPN piece, thanks Luke etc). Telling players to ‘look up my resume’ isn’t coaching, it’s fronting, stunting, big timing..he’s out of touch and talks down to his players imo, then reprimanded Kuzma for leading a players only meeting lol..Bye Doc! He has his HOF life raft, he’ll be fine. Also Doc if you’re reading, I’m struggling to find any info on that team you coached that ‘wasn’t supposed to be in a championship’! Your teams had HOFers, and some would say you underachieved with what you had.
Doc+Kerr = getting the least from the most, every single year.
When Luke Walton coaches your own team better than you…you stink.
link to sports.yahoo.com
Giannis is leaving lol. This is a great draft. To have multiple picks.
and the Warriors are only team who will give the Bucks what they want. These clowns cant draft well anyway lol Giannis-Curry PNRs all day til its a 60 win season it is then! Pray 4 health!
Look at the lineup that produced the best statistical Curry game:
link to basketball-reference.com
Hmmm…doesn’t look too small ball to me! What happened to Kerr, man?? Last night he literally played Steph, Seth, Melton, GP2 and Draymond vs the Rockets and they got cooked. Small ball = losing
Get Steph a good big who knows how to win…that’s G.
Kuzma isn’t wrong tho… they are young – get yours. Need to show up on the stat sheet to get paid.
On a bad team, yeah it’s really to their benefit. On a good team you should always do what works, and that’s usually team-centered hooping.
Bucks have bent over backwards to try and put big name players on the roster to please Giannis, who absolutely deserves a competitive team. Unfortunately it all resulted in a single championship (extremely impressive), and now 5 years of cap hell after the compounding of all the moves that didnt work out for one reason or another.
Bucks need a reset for the good of the franchise, Giannis needs a reset for his career. The financial constraints mean he cannot win in Milwaukee. I thank him for his time, but for the good of everyone its time to move on.
“Bucks have bent over backwards to try and put big name players on the roster to please Giannis” bro they literally told him his “Big 3” was Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. Two guys who’s games do not fit with Giannis’s. Two guys who are not a top 3 on a playoff team in 2026. The Bucks FO did this on purpose to enrage Giannis so he asks for a trade. Slimy Bucks ownership, once again, its the team owners, really causing issues based directly out of their own cheapskateness and idiotic choices.
Who else were they able to get by that point with their financial constraints from their previous attempts? Thats right, no one better.
Plenty of players out there who accent Giannis’s game better they could have gone after. They sought out Kuzma+Turner because they knew it would fail, and cause Giannis to ask out.
So who were these players that they could have actually acquired that would have accented his game better?
Good luck on a response. ChatGPT hasn’t been able to give him anything
Oh you just got flagged.
Bro why are you arguing with Davy. We already know he thinks he is going to the warriors. I wouldn’t even engage with this dude. Everyone is at fault. The Bucks milking the cow and having no back bone. Greek freek for having his brothers in the team and Playing GM and the fence. If you want out just say it. Also he only wants to play to collect his Nike money. Just say that. Don’t come out and say I’m healthy I Wana win. For the bucks have some back bone and stop the stupid get Rich trades
You refer to the Bucks’ owners as cheapskates, yet you allege that they signed Myles Turner to a $109MM contract for no other reason than to enrage Giannis? Seems plausible.
Yes, billionaire-defender and therefore not a serious person, there is this thing called “the long game”. Hope this helps!
Look it’s time to move on. There are no chips coming to Milwaukee in next few yrs. Trade him and build a contender. A young team that can seriously compete for yrs. They have a great pick coming. Can get young talent and picks for Giannis. As much as I would love to see him in NY. There are better offers out there.
Bucks should do it for draft. This is a deep draft. So you can find nice talent in first rd. And even rotation bigs in second rd. Stop procrastinating this is tge draft you been waiting for …..
Only way Knicks get him. Is trade Towns and OG to other teams. And use the assets to trade to Bucks. Who would take Towns ?? Well if he plays great in playoffs. It will make it easier. I still say Spurs is best place.
But Al, if they get a good player in this draft, won’t that make the team better next year? Giannis should either stay, or go to the Warriors. If they keep him and get another elite star in the draft, they will be contenders again. They gotta get rid of Kuzma, Rollins and Turner and bring in wings and guards who accent Giannis’s game better.
One player is not enough. Plus the only player that can help at 8 is Lendeborg. And he plays same position as Giannis. They are better off drafting on potential. And just move Giannis. Their pick plus two first rd picks this yr. Is a big improvement for future.
Nobody wants to buy a ticket to the Titanic man. Give it rest
I know you can’t believe it. But plenty of fans actually LOVE a real rebuild. Thats what it can be. This is a great draft for multiple picks. I know you don’t believe that either. Why do you even post here. If you are incapable of seeing a team try and get better thru draft or trades. The only misery here is in your brain. We love talking trades and picks.
Why would Giannis go to the Warriors? To play with 38-year-old Curry with knee problems, 37-year-old Butler coming off an ACL tear, and no future picks or good young players because they’d have to give them up in the Giannis trade? Makes complete sense.
The Warriors are a lot better and more complete a team and close to contention than you are making them out to be. If fully healthy, this is a top 4 team in a loaded west, easily. You know this. The Warriors are a lot closer to the title by adding Giannis than any other team who can afford him. No other team will want to give up what GSW is prepared to give up for him. It makes complete sense.
I think everyone’s at fault here. Bucks haven’t made good decisions and have been pretty incompetent at times. Damian Lillard and doc rivers were joke choices.
But one factor in those moves was the bucks having zero draft picks, because of the moves they made to win a championship, that Giannis himself demanded. He seems to think overaggression comes with no downsides. That’s just not how it works. And it’s also not fair to the team that he has never given a sincere full commitment and yet he expects such a full commitment from the team. He’s offended they mentioned trading him if an extension wasn’t reached, but he had no problem discussing trades if a championship wasn’t reached.
It’s a lot of hypocrisy on his part. But the bucks aren’t blameless either.
Well spoken! They’ve gotten to a point where there’s too much blame to go around, all around, and both parties need to start over to keep things amicable; Especially agree that Lillard, Rivers, Kuzma, Turner have all felt like NBA2K choices rather than real winning moves. All choices that have also left them with no draft assets to speak of while they finished below expectations. Recipe for disaster, and that’s not even getting into granting employment based on last names smh..I see now why Brook Lopez thought the Clippers looked like a more stable environment lol
Giannas and Myles Turner for Paolo, Jalen Suggs and a first
Bucks get a young star to rebuild around in Paolo plus Suggs and Rollins make a good young backcourt. Trade Kuzma and Portis away and just commit to it. Probably let KPJ walk but resign Deing.
Magic had a poor season this year after going all in on Bane. Black looks to have surpassed Suggs so why not just double down on trying to win. You’d have a solid defence and a 1/2 of Giannas and Franz would be tough.
Bucks are so stubborn. They don’t learn…RJ, CMB, Poetl and 3 firsts.