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Haslam: Bucks Hope To Resolve Giannis Situation By 2026 Draft

By | at May 6, 2026 7:00 pm

After one Bucks co-owner – Wes Edens – told ESPN in March that the team figures to either trade or extend Giannis Antetokounmpo in the coming year, another one of the team’s co-owners – Jimmy Haslam – said on Wednesday that he’d like to see the team reach a resolution on Antetokounmpo by next month’s draft.

“I just think before the draft is a natural time, right? Because if Giannis does play somewhere else, then we ought to get a lot of assets, and it’s (general manager Jon Horst‘s) job to do it,” Haslam said, per Karley Marotta of TMJ4 News (Twitter video link). “If he’s here, then you build the team differently.”

Rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo have been persistent since last summer and only intensified during the season, even after the two-time MVP stayed put through the trade deadline. Giannis and the Bucks clashed publicly on multiple occasions. The two sides were at odds over his ability to return to action following a knee injury, and Antetokounmpo took exception to those aforementioned remarks made by Edens.

For his part, Haslam downplayed the notion that there’s a rift between the team and its longtime superstar.

“I just want to stress that our relationship with him, despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers, is very positive,” Haslam said.

He also reiterated the team’s respect and appreciation for everything Antetokounmpo has done for the franchise, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“Giannis has brought Milwaukee its second championship and the first in 50 years,” Haslam said. “He’s a phenomenal player. He’s a phenomenal person. He’s arguably one of the best basketball players in the world, and we will do what’s best for Giannis and what’s best for the organization. We don’t know whether Giannis will stay with us or not, but we’ll work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks.”

There are already teams preparing trade packages for Antetokounmpo, including the Trail Blazers. Many more made offers at last season’s trade deadline, such as the Magic, who were reportedly “very active” in pursuit of the Greek forward. The Heat, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Knicks were also said to be in the mix leading up to February’s deadline.

The star forward has resisted outright demanding a trade and hasn’t ruled out signing an extension with the only NBA team he’s played for, though he doesn’t become extension-eligible until October. That could complicate plans to reach a resolution next month — while Giannis could let the team know in June whether or not he plans to sign a new deal in October, he may want a more complete picture of Milwaukee’s offseason roster moves before he makes that sort of commitment.

Haslam stressed that he and the rest of the front office and ownership understand the magnitude of the decision for the franchise and how important it is to get right. He also added that there was transparency during the lead-up to the hiring of new head coach Taylor Jenkins.

“We didn’t hold back with Taylor,” he said. “We just said, ‘Listen, (Antetokounmpo) may or may not be with us, so don’t come because of that,’ because you want to be straight up with people.”

While Edens is technically the Bucks’ governor, the franchise has an unusual ownership arrangement that sees he and Haslam swap that title every five years. Haslam will take over as governor in 2028.

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