The Milwaukee Bucks have attempted to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. Whether it’s trading for Damian Lillard and later Kyle Kuzma, or signing Myles Turner (by waiving and stretching Lillard), many of their moves have been made with the hope that they help to keep Giannis around.
Two things seem to be fairly evident now: the Bucks aren’t very good, and Giannis would love to move on. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been heavily rumored to be in the Giannis trade sweepstakes. According to Marc Stein, though, one reason Milwaukee may want decide to hold on to The Greek Freak after the February 5 trade deadline is to see if they can have draft lottery luck after the season that could perhaps cause Antetokounmpo to want to stay.
"League sources say that the Bucks — who deep down would still prefer not to trade their Face of the Franchise — believe that a bolt of lottery luck in May could still keep alive Milwaukee's dream of convincing Antetokounmpo to extend the relationship one more time," Stein wrote onhis recent substack article.
The Bucks either have their own pick, or the New Orleans Pelicans’ pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and both look like they might come with a lot of ping pong balls for the lottery.
Still hope from the Bucks they can keep Giannis happy?
Now, the 2026 NBA Draft is expected to be a strong one, particularly within the first three picks. Darryn Peterson of Kansas, AJ Dybantsa of BYU, and Cameron Boozer of Duke all have the potential to be perennial All-Stars.
While all may become future household names, could Milwaukee make a move if they grab one of those picks for a known star? It was in the 2014 offseason that the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Andrew Wiggins (the first overall pick a couple months back) in a three-team deal that netted them Kevin Love. It was surely a move made in hopes of making LeBron James happy.
Timberwolves could still make a move even if it's not Giannis
The Timberwolves traded Mike Conley on Tuesday, a move many believe is a precursor to a future move, as getting rid of his contract put Minnesota under the first apron. Some speculate that the move could be for Antetokounmpo.
Minnesota trading for Giannis does come with risks. The 13-year veteran has been dealing with calf issues this season, and Minnesota would compromise its depth in any deal for the two-time MVP. Still, the upside of a Giannis-Anthony Edwards duo is clear.
One thing is for sure Timberwolves fans will be on pins and needles wondering what their team may do up until Thursday’s trade deadline.