Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, Milwaukee Bucks trade rumors, Andrew Wiggins trade rumors, Ja Morant trade rumors, NBA trade rumors, NBA trade deadline, Giannis trade news
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The Milwaukee Bucks only shot at keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo after this summer is by adding another player, according to new trade rumors.
After a few months of speculation, all signs point to the Milwaukee Bucks attempting to add talent before the trade deadline in hopes of keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo in town, for at least the rest of the season.
Writing for ESPN, Jamal Collier outlined a few different routes the Bucks can take before the trade deadline, one of which includes adding mid-level stars to pair with Antetokounmpo in hopes of turning the team into atrue title contender, while, at the same time, keeping him on the roster.
In his article, Collier highlighted Andrew Wiggins of the Miami Heat, a former NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, as a potential trade candidate for Milwaukee to target.
“The Bucks can accept a larger contract with multiple years beyond this season that an opposing team might be trying to get out from under, such asMiami‘sAndrew Wiggins, who owns a $30 million player option for next season,” he wrote.
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Andrew Wiggins is a name to watch for the Milwaukee Bucks, per @JamalCollier
“It’s where rival executives see the biggest chance for opportunity in Milwaukee. The Bucks can accept a larger contract with multiple years beyond this season that an opposing team might be trying to
The Bucks have alsobeen linked to Zach LaVine of the Sacramento Kings and, more recently, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, both of whom look to be top trade candidates at the deadline.
Bucks Urged To Add Talent In Trade Rumors
Along with LaVine or Morant, Collier also mentioned Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets, Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Malik Monk, also of the Kings.
Any of those, along with Wiggins, wouldn’t automatically turn the Bucks from a middling team into a title contender, but, as the front office certainly hopes, would prove to Antetokounmpo that they want to win and keep him around.
The star player himself, in the same interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic in which hesaid he would never ask tobe traded, also said that he knowsthis current Milwaukee team isn’t winning at the level he’d hoped.
Though they have Myles Turner, Ryan Rollins, and a few other decent players and assets, as seen in their latest loss to the San Antonio Spurs, this teamcan’t compete with other title contenders on a nightly basis.
While Antetokounmpo appears ready to stay with the Bucks for the time being, their best bet at keeping him around is to take a risk and add someone who could at least bolster their floor, whether it be a mid-tier player like those mentioned or someone else of much higher value.
“The Bucks have one first-round draft pick available to trade, in either 2031 or 2032,” Collier added on their draft assets if they want to trade for a big-name star. “They have been wary in recent trade discussions of making that pick available, and rival executives told ESPN they believe the Bucks will only do so to acquire a star. But no clear target has emerged for Milwaukee, and it’s unclear ifany player of that magnitude will be moved next month.”
Milwaukee is in a sticky situation, and as the days go on, its seeming unwillingness to go out and land a big fish in the trade market might signal to Antetokounmpo that his time is winding down in the Cream City.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors
After weighing the potential moves the Bucks can make to add talent around their star, we now shift to the other, much darker possibility of them moving away from him before losing him in free agency in the summer of 2026, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension with the team this offseason.
Collier addressed that possibility, which though not making headlines as much as it did a few months ago after Shams Charania’s reporting, iscertainly still on the table.
“But this season’s reality might force their hands,” Collier added on an Antetokounmpo trade. “The Bucks thought they would ascend when Antetokounmpo returned, but instead they’ve stagnated.Milwaukeestill hasn’t recorded a three-game winning streak this season, one of only six teams tofail to do so. And as a result, the Bucks haven’t made up any ground in the Eastern Conference.”
However, he did mention that the market for the Greek star remains uncertain. As seen with other players, teams around the league aren’t super interested in trading half their roster or assets for anyone, even if it’s Antetokounmpo. That shouldn’t rule out himbeing moved, but it means the list of teams willing to take him on isn’t as long as it would be in the past, or even in the upcoming offseason.
Both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are in a standstill.They both know this team isn’t capable of winning another title, as the roster would likely need a massive overhaul over the course of a few years to evenget close to that chance. The star player doesn’t want to risk his reputation in the city and asks for a trade, and the front office knows that.
But as the days go on, the question becomes who budges first.Antetokounmpo has said multiple times he wants to win, and the team’sdecision makers likely know he has a better chance of doingthat somewhere else.
While a trade deadline move seems unlikely, there is a very real possibility the Bucks trade Antetokounmpo this summer,getting back what could be one of the biggest trade hauls in NBA history.