Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term outlook remains cloudy as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to stumble. While Antetokounmpo has publicly stated that he wants to stay in Milwaukee and finish his career with the franchise, speculation around his future has never fully gone away. Past reports have tied him to potential moves elsewhere, including last offseason, when the New York Knicks were identified as a team he would be open to joining if circumstances shifted.
NBA personality Scoop B recently claimed that the Brooklyn Nets came close to landing Antetokounmpo last summer, with the Knicks’ cross town rivals nearly pulling off a blockbuster move.
Conversation I had over breakfast yesterday with a current player who is a former Net and Buck was this: Giannis almost became a Net this past summer.
Nets still covet Giannis.
From an organizational standpoint a person on the Nets organizational side told me back in June… https://t.co/PfAZmqb01h pic.twitter.com/E0YN5Nhz9S
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) January 21, 2026
“Conversation I had over breakfast yesterday with a current player who is a former Net and Buck was this: Giannis almost became a Net this past summer. Nets still covet Giannis.
From an organizational standpoint a person on the Nets organizational side told me back in June 2025 (right before the Draft) that Brooklyn was choosing not to make any big moves for marquee players until this summer (2026),” Scoop B wrote in his post on X (formerly Twitter).
Giannis Antetokounmpo almost joined the Nets?
Nov 29, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (33) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reach for a loose ball in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
At first glance, the report sounds far-fetched, especially for a Brooklyn team in the middle of a rebuild. But the context matters. The Nets are set to lose control of their future first-round picks after this season as a result of the James Harden trade with the Houston Rockets, giving them a stronger incentive to accelerate their timeline rather than wait it out.
This season, the Nets are projected to land a lottery pick, but continued losses mainly benefit rival teams and risk further tarnishing the franchise’s reputation over the next few seasons.
A move from the Bucks to the Nets would hardly improve Antetokounmpo’s championship prospects. Brooklyn remains deep in rebuild mode following trades of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson.
Nov 29, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after scoring his 21,000th career point in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Bucks sit at 18-24, holding 11th place in the Eastern Conference. If the regular season ended today, Antetokounmpo and the team would miss the NBA play-in tournament, despite “The Greek Freak” putting up 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
The idea that the Nets nearly acquired Antetokounmpo last offseason sounds unbelievable, but ongoing trade interest is more understandable.
In addition to Brooklyn, Antetokounmpo has been linked to the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers in recent trade chatter. The Bucks, however, have made it clear they will only consider a deal if Antetokounmpo requests a trade.