Giannis Antetokounmpo played a career-low 36 games due to a variety of injuries in 2025/26. However, the Bucks superstar says he’s feeling healthy and spry in his first extended offseason in several years, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link).
Antetokounmpo, 31, says he’s particularly excited about being able to work on developing his skills over the next few months until training camps begin in the fall.
“I’ve seen the difference, which I’m very excited for,” he said. “Because this is going to be the first year in my career that I’m going to go from January, pretty much, until October, fully healthy. I can work on whatever I want. All the skills that I want. I can make mistakes. It’s May. Nobody’s in the gym with me. There’s no crowds. There’s no media. I can fail many times and I can just get up and pat myself on the back and come back the next day and try to be better.”
While Antetokounmpo is hoping to recapture his MVP-level form next season, he admitted he wasn’t sure which team he’ll be on, simply saying, “We’ll see.” But the nine-time All-NBA forward did say he’s using external doubts about his health and/or game as motivational fuel, Owczarski writes.
“I feel good. I feel really good,” Antetokounmpo said, his voice rising a pitch. “And I love when people doubt me. I love it. I want more doubt. Everybody on your social media; follow me on that stuff and talk [expletive] to me all year long. All summer, all offseason. That’s all I want to see. I want to see doubt. No compliments.
“Tell me how much I suck and I didn’t make the playoffs and I’m not good at that or I’m not good at this. Just keep on putting gasoline in the fire and just keep on adding to that. That’s what I love. I love when people don’t believe in me. And when I come [back] I’ll do what I’m supposed to do.”
Here’s more from Milwaukee:
- Center Myles Turner raised some eyebrows recently when he claimed ex-head coach Doc Rivers didn’t fine any Bucks players for being late to team activities. Turner also singled out Antetokounmpo as his teammate most likely to be tardy for those activities. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, “accountability” was a talking point during the press conference to introduce new head coach Taylor Jenkins, and that theme continued this week during combine interviews with prospects. Milwaukee controls the 10th pick in June’s draft. “I had a really good conversation with them and Coach Jenkins,” projected lottery pick Mikel Brown said. “He’s just talking about the stuff that I can work on, right? They know what I’m capable of, and they know the strengths that I have. It’s really just about trying to key in on the stuff that I could be better on. And I can appreciate that, because I love to be coached hard. I appreciate being held accountable, right? I love that type of coaching, and that’s how I’ve been raised all my life, and every single coach that I’ve played for has done that and got me to this point. So I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- Darius Acuff, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, Cameron Carr, Chris Cenac, Aday Mara, Labaron Philon and Keaton Wagler are among the other prospects who confirmed to The Athletic that they’d spoken to the Bucks, Nehm adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Bucks’ offseason, writing that determining whether to trade or keep Antetokounmpo is the clear top priority in Milwaukee, but there are other roster moves to consider as well. Smith expects Kevin Porter Jr. to decline his $5.4MM player option in search of a more lucrative contract in free agency, predicting that the 26-year-old will return to the Bucks on a new multiyear deal in the range of $12-16MM annually. Smith also thinks restricted free agent Ousmane Dieng is a good bet to return, and suggests signing the French forward to a multiyear deal worth around $10MM per year would be a reasonable contract for both sides.
OK ……. so if Thunder lose this year ——
………. So if the Spurs lose this year ——
Do they trade for Giannis ????
Both can probably make best offers.
They could but the problem would be out gouing cap money. OKC would need to give up Holmgrenn or Williams in the deal. Spurs would need to give up Fox. Cavs has Mobley to trade. Pistons has a lot of cap space and could send Duren in a sign and trade. Knicks has a couple of players that they could trade. So does the Heat. The other question are they going to send a bad contract like Turner out with Giannis. This is why i been trying to tell Davey the warriors has 0 chance of getting Giannis because so many teams have so much more to offer. It also comes down to will Giannis sign a extension with teh new team.
Both of them can easily do it. They have the young talent and picks. The Bucks want. And it would take.
Losing this year could put pressure to do it. A d if both lose. Who will step up.
I think a Giannis trade will happen. So why wouldn’t you be in on that. Might be less than you think.
Giannis already said he wants to be on east coast not west coast. All the warriors have to offer is draft picks. Butler is negative value so why would bucks want him. I am just being realistic the warriors do not have the assets. this draft is so loaded i am hoping the warriors trade a future pick for another 1st round pick. Also take into account how tough the west is right now its better to wait about 2 years before making your move when Spurs and OKC will need to deal with cap issues.
West is only tough to those of you out there. Knicks are winning it all. I pray the Thunder make it. Giannis doesn’t have a no trade clause. I am sure he would go to a contender. Warriors aren’t one lol. And they have NO young talent.
Not going to talk about Knicks trades till after Finals.
Again its the best offers out there. Both can do it even overpay. All I am saying is they can easily do it. So losing could push them to do it. I don’t rule it out.
It’s not matter of assets for OKC or San Antonio. They also have to match salaries. Both teams are well over the cap. Either team would have to give up a lot of depth to get it done.
Are the Thunder willing to give up 24 old Holmgren for 31 year old Giannis? Highly unlikely. I don’t think Jalen Williams, Isiah Joe and a couple 1sts gets it done. Anymore than that then there goes their depth.
Even harder for the Spurs unless the Bucks would be willing to take Fox and picks. That’d be a pretty crappy thing to do to Fox after angling his way there and signing an extension.
Outside of that it’d have to be Vassell, Johnson and one of their two young guards. Once again, they’d have no depth.
There wouldn’t be that much pressure on either team anyway. The Spurs are young and way ahead of schedule and the Thunder just won it all.
He’ll get traded but it’ll be to a 2nd or third tier team that keeps failing and are getting desperate like the Knicks or Cavs or a team like Magic, Lakers or Raptors that are perhaps one player away from taking the East and getting injury luck in the finals.
You just don’t like Giannis. Who is Chet compared to Giannis. Giannis on his worst day owns Chet. He can do whatever he wants to Chet. And then stop him on D. They are not in same sentence lol. Now 24 yrs old might mean something. Not to me. Thunder haven’t beat the Spurs this year. But I hope they do so Knicks can beat them.
Both those teams are young and growing. So I can understand keeping it going. Imo there is non-one on both teams. Who is better than Giannis. Wemby is close. But he needs a guard to make it work. Giannis is a one nan wrecking crew.
You undervalue Giannis so it’s not even worth talking about it. First off Fox ain’t going. Wemby needs him, so does Giannis. You know what a real PG does for those two.
Imo both should do it, I would if i was the owner. Its not a must for them. I get that. But if they lose this year. And they will cause this is NYK2026. I just wonder if it pushes one of them to do it.
I do believe Giannis is going to be traded. Knicks will be in on it. But I am only concerned with gm1 of East Finals. I’ll talk trades after we get our rings lol.
AL,
Sorry man can’t agree with this. Thunder would be foolish is get Giannis. 1st for the fit. 2nd for the cost.
Honestly Giannis is a negative trade value right now. What team and price make sense. There is no even trade for him. Too many picks. I don’t believe he can win you a championship as the man anymore. Too low of value the bucks will be trash. It sucks Milwaukee is 2 years too late. Also Giannis is showing toxic right. Wanting his brothers.always hurt. And he is 32. He is on the wrong side. Curry, LeBron can play so late because of legendary skill sets. Shooting playmaking. What legendary skill set does Giannis have? It was he athletic ability and that dimnish and already has at 32
Giannis = negative trade value
You can’t make this stuff up ahahah
OKC: 10-20%. Only because the impact of losing, when you’ve won, and you’re expecting to win again, can’t be underestimated. But, even there, I don’t see a move unless they lose to the SAS (an even younger team in their conference), not to an Eastern opponent in the Finals. BTW, OKC has future FRPs, but outside of a swap call on LAC next year and DAL the following year, all their FRPs figure to be at the very bottom of the first round.
SAS: 0%. Because they’re not expecting to win. 5 years of shameful tanking has dumbed down expectations, and they’ll use that to wait until next year to even consider anything other than patting themselves on the back and running it back.
Thunder would have to do it this year. Imo losing moves the needle for everyone. Thunder have Sorber and Topic also.
And Spurs are seeing what not having another good big does to Wemby. Giannis gives them both a 5-7 yr window. You just don’t walk away from that. You have to explore it imo.
OKC has said they are not interested in Giannis under any circumstance.
Yeah and you believe it. Losing changes everything. I think Thunder are a top team. Spurs and Knicks can beat them. They’re not this all time team. Spurs own them this yr. And a good big nan gives them trouble. You’ll see what Wemby does. I hope he owns the lane. Get them in foul trouble. That’s the key lol. NYK2026
Knicks are getting swept by the Spurs, easily. KAT is a clown compared with Wemby.
Nostradunker predict Gino will start the season really strong, make an MVP bid, then have a big old fork in him by all star break. Question will be which team he tanks as a result…
When the departing HC is Doc Rivers, “accountability” is going to be a talking point and a theme going forward. Doc never held anyone accountable, first and foremost himself.
Closest he ever got was throwing his players under the bus in press conferences
I realize it’s just one writer’s opinion, but it’s easy to see how teams get themselves all balled up with the salary cap if you actually start thinking someone with Ousmane Dieng’s track record deserves a $10M a year salary. I mean, we’re talking about a guy who hasn’t even proved that he is a rotation player yet, and when you start paying end of the bench guys $10M, you get up to $200M in salary pretty quickly.