Bucks reportedly keep Giannis Antetokounmpo hours away from his NBA trade deadline
Giannis Antetokounmpo will reportedly remain with the Milwaukee Bucks, at least for the remainder of the season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks will keep Antetokounmpo, even with just hours until Thursday’s deadline.
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Milwaukee is also expected to field offers for Antetokounmpo in the offseason, when teams have more clarity on draft pick compensation and the market potentially widens as some contenders fail to make the playoffs.
Passing the trade deadline culminates months of speculation that the two-time MVP and franchise stalwart would not finish the season with the Bucks team that drafted him. The Bucks are in the midst of a losing season and aren’t on pace to make the playoffs.
Antetokounmpo has missed twice this season due to serious calf injuries. He suffered his second injury on January 23 in a 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Antetokounmpo said after that game that he expected to miss 4-6 weeks due to the injury, and coach Doc Rivers said there is no timetable for his return. It’s unclear if or when he can return this season to the Bucks, who would benefit from improving their draft lottery odds.
Speculation about the possibility of Antetokounmpo leaving the Bucks began before the season began. As the losses piled up, so did the tension in Milwaukee. After home fans booed the Bucks during their loss to the Timberwolves on Jan. 13, Antetokounmpo stuck two thumbs down and booed them back. After that incident he played four more games for the Bucks.
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However, the franchise is not yet ready to conclude its most successful era since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led Milwaukee to two Finals appearances and an NBA championship in the early 1970s.
The Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the No. 15 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft as a high-level, raw prospect with a huge physical tool set. He expressed this positive aspect and more.
Antetokounmpo spent his rookie season developing off the bench as a 19-year-old before joining the starting lineup full-time in his second NBA season. He made his first All-Star team in his fourth season in Milwaukee and has been an All-Star in eight seasons since as a dominant two-way force.
Antetokounmpo won the first of his two consecutive NBA MVP awards following the 2018-19 season. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award along with his second MVP award the following season.
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In 2020-21, Antetokounmpo rounded out his NBA resume. Playing alongside Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the franchise’s second NBA championship. The only major milestone now missing from his pro career is Hall of Fame induction, which is a certainty as soon as he gets on the ballot.
But he won’t complete his career having only played for the Bucks. Milwaukee did not maintain its contender status after winning the 2021 championship and has not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since. They have suffered first-round playoff exits in each of the last three postseasons.
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Middleton and Holiday are both gone, and Milwaukee’s attempts to rebuild another contender around Antetokounmpo failed with Damian Lillard’s ruptured Achilles tendon last season.
The Bucks exceeded expectations earlier this season with a 6-3 start. They have since fallen out of playoff contention with a losing record. A full rebuild, however, will have to wait until the offseason.
Antetokounmpo is playing on a three-year, $186 million contract extension he signed in 2023 following Milwaukee’s trade to acquire Lillard. That extension includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
This breaking news story will be updated.