As Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to separate, neither side wants to look like the bad guy.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Bucks are listening to offers for their superstar forward one week before the NBA's trade deadline. But the wording in Charania's post on X offers a glimpse into how delicate the situation is between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks -- who drafted the little-known prospect 15th overall in the 2013 draft and watched him blossom into arguably their greatest-ever player.
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"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, league sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote Wednesday.
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, league sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OejatbQjDy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2026
The wording in Charania's post makes no mention of a trade request; it merely couches Antetokounmpo's desire to move on in vaguer language.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes stated later Wednesday that Antetokounmpo has not made an official trade request -- and he doesn't foresee the 10-time All-Star selection "ever" doing so.
Both sides want to come out of an eventual Antetokounmpo trade looking like they did right by one another. While a lot of mutual respect exists between the Bucks and their longtime star, no one wants to lose the PR battle if and when a trade gets done.
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