With the NBA trade deadline eight days away, Giannis Antetokounmpo is undoubtedly the top player available.
Antetokounmpo has been the face of the Milwaukee Bucks since 2016. Although he's now 31 years old, he remains a dominant force on the hardwood. He's averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season.
In December, the Bucks had conversations with Antetokounmpo and his agent about them potentially parting ways. It wasn't until this Wednesday, however, that Milwaukee agreed to field trade calls for the future Hall of Famer.
"Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen," Charania said.
Antetokounmpo is under contract through the 2026-27 season with a $62 million player option for the following year. Any team that acquires him will essentially have him for least the next 17 months.
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
Who'll win the sweepstakes for Giannis?
Since the Bucks are finally willing to trade Antetokounmpo, there'll be a plethora of teams submitting offers for the two-time MVP.
Here are the three teams that'll most likely be at the front of the line for Antetokounmpo:
Golden State Warriors
Miami Heat
New York Knicks
It's possible the Warriors offer Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and a plethora of unprotected first-round picks to pair Antetokounmpo with Steph Curry. That might not be enough to get the job done though.
The Heat have made plenty of aggressive moves in the past, but the front office has held off from making a significant splash because they were waiting for the right star. There's no question Antetokounmpo is that star.
As for the Knicks, they actually expressed interest in Antetokounmpo in the offseason.
"The Bucks insisted to the Knicks that they preferred not to move Antetokounmpo, but those in Milwaukee believe New York did not make a strong enough offer to continue even discussing a trade, league sources said," Charania wrote. "It's unclear how the Bucks would have responded to an all-out chase by the Knicks. The multiweek process was described by one source with direct knowledge of the talks as an exclusive negotiating window. New York, for its part, believes the Bucks never were serious about entertaining an Antetokounmpo trade, sources said."
If the Knicks truly want Antetokounmpo, they'll have to put together an insanely appealing offer to the Bucks.
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