All eyes around the NBA will be focused on Milwaukee ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, but the Bucks are falling back on a familiar tune.
The Bucks don’t feel the pressure to move Giannis Antetokounmpo on Thursday, team sources told ESPN hours ahead of the deadline. Rival executives have grown dubious in the past 24 hours about whether the Bucks would actually move their franchise star after more than 12 seasons together.
Late Wednesday night, one potential suitor, the Golden State Warriors, moved Jonathan Kuminga in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, all but indicating they were out of the running for Antetokounmpo this week.
Two potential suitors, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, still remain, and there is the potential for a wild-card team appearing in the next few hours, but all indications are beginning to point to another showdown in the summer.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that Antetokounmpo has been ready for a new home for months, either at Thursday’s deadline or in the offseason. The Bucks began listening to teams’ offers over the past week for the two-time MVP, even engaging and countering a few of them. It’s further along in the process than Milwaukee has been willing to go throughout Antetokounmpo’s tenure.
But the Bucks have not given up complete hope of salvaging the Antetokounmpo era yet.
Milwaukee has still scoured the market for a potential upgrade to its roster, sources told ESPN, hoping to benefit from a team looking to offload salary in the future. The Bucks have won back-to-back games this week but are still in the No.12 slot in the East and trailing the Chicago Bulls by three games for the No.10 seed.
However, Antetokounmpo could have more influence over his next destination in the summer if this saga continues for a few more months. He is eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1. Given his player option for the 2027-28 season, it means he has only one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract, where he wants to sign that extension could dictate the terms of his next deal.
