The Milwaukee Bucks stepped into Wednesday night’s home matchup against the Eastern Conference leading Detroit Pistons amid swirling trade rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo, but a far more urgent concern surfaced when the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player seemed to injure himself in the opening minutes at Fiserv Forum.
After AJ Green knocked down a basket, Giannis Antetokounmpo suddenly dropped to the floor without any contact, immediately raising concerns that he may have suffered an injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a right calf strain after the Bucks fell behind big early against the Pistons tonight.
Giannis appeared fine, then suddenly went down.
Who knows whether this is the last time Giannis plays in a Bucks uniform at this rate.pic.twitter.com/ks10Cz68WB
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 4, 2025
“Giannis Antetokounmpo just fell to the ground on his way back down the floor after an assist to AJ Green. Sitting on the ground, he asked for a timeout immediately. He eventually walked off the floor under his own power, but he’s now sitting on the Bucks’ bench,” The Athletic’s Eric Nehm wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Doc Rivers signaled for a timeout and Giannis managed to get to his feet and walk off on his own. He spent a short stretch on the bench before getting up again and heading to the locker room with a noticeable limp.
The Bucks later confirmed that Antetokounmpo would not return, ruling him out for the rest of the game with what they described as a right calf strain.
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time with the Bucks coming to an end?
Dec 3, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grimaces as he limps off the court after going down with an injury in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
While it remains uncertain whether this lower-body issue will sideline him beyond the rest of the Pistons game or spark another round of “pretendonitis” talk after his trade request, the situation is definitely worth monitoring. Antetokounmpo had already missed four games earlier due to a groin problem, and Milwaukee failed to win a single outing during that stretch.
The Bucks have struggled to stack wins this season, and losing Antetokounmpo for any stretch would only deepen those challenges and make it even tougher for Milwaukee to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference race.
Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks back during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Before exiting the Pistons game, Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed two points from the free-throw line, along with an assist and a rebound, in three minutes of game time.