Giannis Antetokounmpo, giannis trade, Milwaukee Bucks
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on December 29, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly not very high on the offers they’ve received for Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Bucks have yet to receive an offer that has brought them close to pulling the trigger on a Giannis trade.
“As of Monday evening, the offers coming the Bucks’ way for the “Greek Freak” were still believed to be so underwhelming — in the eyes of rival executives and agents — that this saga looked likely to extend into the summertime,” wrote Amick.
Giannis Trade Unlikely by Thursday?
Besides Amick, several other insiders beleive that a Giannis trade is more likely to occur during the offseason, even as the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves continue to make an aggressive trade deadline push. Furthermore, a New York Knicks source told Amick that the Knicks remain in the picture, contrary to reports that they are bowing out of the sweepstakes.
“…The fact that all of these teams are choosing to stay in the hunt — and yes, per a team source, that still includes the Knicks — is revealing in its own right. There’s an internal price that is sometimes paid to be part of this sort of high-profile process.”
Amick added that although none of the four known Giannis trade suitors are capable of making a “godfather offer” to blow the Bucks away, the Warriors — with their ability to trade four first-rounders — remain the favorites to pull off a Giannis trade.
Warriors Still the Frontrunners
“The mere fact that the Warriors are seen by some as a frontrunner here is quite telling,” wrote Amick, assessing the chances of the Bucks moving Antetokounmpo.
“If the Warriors’ best offer, as many suspect, is four first-round picks and a first-round swap alongside Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, then how can [Jon] Horst turn to Bucks fans and sell a story of survival in the post-Antetokounmpo era? Ditto for the packages that are most often discussed with the Heat, Knicks and Timberwolves.”
Further to Amick’s point, none of the four Giannis trade suitors can offer the Bucks a surefire future franchise star. Perhaps the Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware is the most intriguing, blue-chip talent the Bucks could acquire, while the Warriors can offer young talents with upside like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. None of those players, though, is likely to change the fortunes of the Bucks anytime soon.
The Bucks may have a better chance of landing their next franchise star by waiting until after the NBA Draft Lottery, when they’d have a clearer picture of the incoming draft picks, which would also open the door for other suitors to enter the fray.
Insider Jake Fischer predicts a Giannis trade won’t happen by Thursday.
“As of now, it is more likely than not that Giannis remains a member of the Milwaukee Bucks beyond Thursday’s trade deadline, and Jon Horst’s front office just starts to sift through all this intel and all of the negotiations and conversations they’ve had right now with a better understanding of situations this summer.”