There has already been one big NBA trade this year. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo force another?
Don’t bet on it. In league circles, talk of an in-season Antetokounmpo trade has died down amid reports that the Bucks are looking to add at the trade deadline, not trade the best player in franchise history. The only way Antetokounmpo gets traded at the deadline is if he demands a trade, and he told Sam Amick of The Athletic he would not go there.
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“There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment, that I will come out and say ‘I want a trade,'” Antetokounmpo, who can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2027, told The Athletic. “That’s not … in … my … nature. OK?”
Later, Antetokounmpo reiterated what he said before, that he can’t control the speculation online and in the media about his future, or who talks to his agent, or who calls the Bucks. However, he was very clear that he intends to be with the Bucks through the end of the season.
“I am not (going anywhere). I am invested in this team. I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I wanna win games. The last six games we’ve played, we’re 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I’m locked the f*** in. I’m locked in. My priority is just staying healthy.”
The rubber will hit the road with Antetokounmpo and his future in Milwaukee this coming offseason, when the team can offer him another max contract extension, heading into what could be the final year of his contract (he has a player option for the 2027-28 season, he can be a free agent in 2027). Every time that has happened previously, Antetokounmpo has used it as leverage to push the Bucks to upgrade the roster (such as adding Jrue Holiday, a key to their 2021 title), then ultimately signed the deal. If he signs the deal this summer, the pattern continues.
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If he does not, the Bucks will be forced to trade him — without him directly asking out — or risk losing him for nothing in the summer of 2027. And there are multiple teams lined up with cap space for that offseason (hello, Clippers!).
But all of that is this summer. For now, listen to Antetokounmpo’s words — he is not going anywhere this season.
