The Milwaukee Bucks don’t want to trade away Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they have a key way to keep him in town.
All eyes are on the Milwaukee Bucks this NBA offseason. After a third first-round exit in a row and Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name to watch. While he hasn’t yet indicated that he wants to be traded, all teams are expecting a demand sooner rather than later.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Oklahoma City Thunder have all been linked to the Greek Freak, although until he demands a trade, the Bucks are expected to keep him.
With general manager Jon Horst not exactly eager to part ways with the best player in franchise history, Milwaukee has a clear strategy to entice Giannis to stay.
After players like Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Mikal Bridges were all traded for five first-round picks in recent years, it stands to reason that Antetokounmpo will go for even more.
With two seasons and a player option left on his contract, teams will have ample time to build around him after a trade, although a key question has to be asked.
What will be left after a trade for Antetokounmpo?
There aren’t many teams that have seven first-round picks to outright trade, and the Bucks would likely want some quality young players in a deal. If the Rockets give up Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard, and immense draft capital (as well as even more salary matching), would the Rockets be the destination they’ve been touted as?
“Jon (Horst) is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis—he’s trying to do right by the Bucks,” said Sam Amick on The Ringer NBA podcast. “And that means that if every scenario in play leaves the other team so gutted that Giannis might not actually be in that much better of a situation, then maybe that’s where he looks at the room and says, ‘All right, let me stay put.’”
The Nets don’t have pieces to build around Giannis with, and both the Warriors and Thunder would have to give up virtually their entire supporting cast to land the MVP finalist.
The only team with a chance to add him and maintain some depth is the Spurs, although they are in a unique position.
It stands to reason that the Spurs would not entertain any deal that includes Victor Wembanyama, so both he and De’Aaron Fox are untouchable. Even if Horst fleeces the Spurs for Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, the second overall pick, and additional draft capital, Giannis would still join a roster of Wembanyama, Fox, Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie, and Harrison Barnes, which should be good enough to compete for a Finals berth.
If the Dallas Mavericks shock the world and trade the top pick for Giannis, the Bucks would have no choice but to accept the deal, although Antetokounmpo would have a very limited window with an aging Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving.
If the Bucks “do right” by their superstar, then the Spurs are the only option for a trade, and San Antonio is playing things close to the chest.
If they refuse to trade the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Bucks might not be willing to play ball, forcing Giannis to stay in Milwaukee.
