The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly open to trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Toronto Raptors pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers, a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, to seven games without their starting point guard for the entire series and their second-best player for the final two games. That’s a remarkable achievement for a team in its first playoff appearance since 2022. It’s also a reminder of how close this group is, and how far they still have to go.
The central challenge was evident throughout the Cleveland series. The Raptors’ defense was as disciplined as it gets in the playoffs but the team lacked true offensive firepower. And that’s exactly what they should aim for this offseason.
Which brings us to perhaps the most consequential name in this summer’s trade market: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks have opened trade discussions ahead of the NBA Draft Combine, with an asking price centered around a young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks.
Antetokounmpo carries a $58.5 million salary for 2026-27, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. But Co-owner Jimmy Haslam has made it clear a resolution either via trade or a contract extension must come before the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23.
The Raptors currently hold the No. 19 pick in the 2026 Draft and the No. 50 second-round pick, and have Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles under contract for 2026-27. This means Milwaukee’s asking price for a former two-time MVP likely starts with a player like Barnes or Brandon Ingram plus draft assets.
When healthy, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 62.4 percent from the field in 2025-26. No player in the league generates interior pressure, creates free throws, or finishes at the rim at his volume. And pairing him with a Raptors core that already demonstrated it can disrupt elite opponents defensively would create a genuine championship contender virtually overnight.
But his recent injury woes cannot be rationalized away. Antetokounmpo missed a career-high 36 games in 2025-26 dealing with five separate injuries, including a left groin strain, two right calf strains, a left ankle sprain, and a left knee hyperextension with bone bruise.
He acknowledged after returning from his calf injury in March that the rapid recoveries he was once known for may be behind him. “Things that I was able to do in the past maybe I’m not able to do now,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve just got to be more methodical with my rehab.”
In truth, the Bucks will never find a trade that brings back true value for a player who, when healthy, is still conservatively a top-five player in the league. But if Toronto trades Barnes, Quickley, multiple first-rounders, and young depth for Antetokounmpo, they’ve dismantled a promising young core for nothing.
He can also opt out and become a free agent in the summer of 2027, meaning Toronto would be surrendering their entire asset base for one guaranteed season of a 31-year-old managing soft-tissue issues. A similar move paid off when Toronto acquired Kawhi Leonard and went on to win their first championship in franchise history. But is it a risk the franchise will be willing to take again?
The Raptors are a team with a promising core, a young star in Barnes, and a legitimate defensive identity. The smarter move this offseason is reinforcing that foundation by adding a proven secondary scorer who complements Barnes rather than replacing him. Antetokounmpo is still one of the most talented players alive. But trading away the future might not be in Toronto’s best interest.