A wild rumor reveals a grand new plan the Milwaukee Bucks are plotting to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2026 and beyond.
The thing that the Bucks organization feared over the last year came to pass late in January when franchise legend Antetokounmpo allegedly informed the team he was ready to begin the process of a divorce. The potential breakup comes after three straight first-round eliminations in the playoffs, and desperate moves to keep the Greek superstar happy that haven’t worked.
Now, the Bucks are taking offers from interested teams to see if they can make a deal that works for both him and the organization. However, as we get closer to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the prevailing belief around the sport is that a trade will wait until June and the NBA Draft.
By then, there will be far more clarity on the draft order for a class that has a lot of talent, plus certain teams that lack draft capital will have more of it after the season. Meaning the Bucks can be at the center of a bigger and better bidding war than the one they have at the moment.
Milwaukee Bucks hoping to land top-five pick to use in trade for new Giannis sidekick?
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However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is a “dream scenario” the Bucks have that might make Giannis Antetokounmpo change his mind about a trade. The team currently has the eighth-worst record in the NBA. Meaning they are headed to the lottery if they maintain this course. And as fans saw last May with the Dallas Mavericks, it is not impossible to get a top pick without the best odds.
Yet, the Bucks aren’t thinking that selecting one of the top players in June will persuade the two-time MVP to stay.
“The top of the 2026 draft is considered so strong that the Bucks — in that dream scenario — might suddenly gain the wherewithal to make trade offers for a difference-making veteran who appeals to Antetokounmpo as a potential sidekick and perhaps even leads him to revisit his willingness to stay in Brewtown. There are teams out there that believe Milwaukee is thinking that way,” Stein wrote.
It is unclear who they might target to pair with the nine-time All-Star. However, a top four or five pick in one of the most hyped draft classes in some time could certainly fetch another multi-time All-Star in the spring.
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After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos