The Bucks may keep him after all.
The Milwaukee Bucks finished 32-50 this season and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, so it makes sense that the franchise is looking at every option on the table.
Giannis Antetokounmpo played just 36 games due to injuries and was shut down after March 15, which only added more fuel to the growing trade talk.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam has set a deadline of the June 23 draft for a resolution, and the front office has reportedly opened the door for calls on Antetokounmpo.
But before Milwaukee rushes into something, the Bucks need to think hard about whether moving Antetokounmpo actually puts them in a better spot long term.
The Trade Market Has Not Been Strong
Several teams have been connected to Antetokounmpo over the past year.
The Knicks, Heat, Celtics, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Timberwolves have all come up at different points, with Boston and Miami reportedly standing out as the two most appealing destinations for the two-time MVP.
The problem is that no team has stepped forward with a package that comes close to matching his value.
When the Cavaliers contacted the Bucks before the trade deadline, Milwaukee wanted Evan Mobley and all of Cleveland's draft capital in return.
The asking price has stayed the same throughout, with the Bucks seeking a top young player and a big haul of draft picks, and nobody has been willing to meet those terms.
The draft lottery did not help the situation either.
None of the teams that landed top-three picks have any real interest in trading for Antetokounmpo, which means Milwaukee is unlikely to turn this deal into a franchise-changing draft selection.
The market for a player of his level has been described as lukewarm, and taking a weak return just to move on would only make the rebuild harder.
He Is Still a Top-Five Player
Injuries took away most of his season, but even in just 36 games Antetokounmpo put up 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 62.4 percent from the field.
Those are numbers most teams would build around, and at 31 years old he is still one of the best players in the league when healthy.
The gap between the Bucks with Giannis and without him was hard to miss this year.
Milwaukee went just 15-31 in games he did not play and struggled on both ends, finishing 27th in defensive rating and 24th in offensive rating on the season.
Milwaukee Has More Time Than They Think
Antetokounmpo is still under contract for next season and holds a player option for 2027, which means Milwaukee has more runway than Haslam's deadline might suggest.
A resolution is expected before the draft, but nothing is forcing the Bucks to take a bad deal just to get it done fast.
Moving a player like Antetokounmpo without getting a true star or a top draft pick in return would set this franchise back even further.
Milwaukee has been in this position before with Giannis, and the last time they committed to building around him, they won a championship in 2021.
