Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks
Let the tanking begin. Around the NBA, now that the league’s trade deadline has passed, the concern remains that several of the league’s superstars will be escorted into protective custody for the remainder of the season, scuttled away to either protect their future trade value or increase the coming value of June’s draft pick. That won’t apply to the Milwaukee Bucks, who don’t have control of their 2026 pick, but it still could mean that we won’t see Giannis Antetokounmpo much for the remainder of the year.
Don’t expect the Bucks to play him much. In fact, buzz around the NBA suggests Antetokounmpo could be benched for the rest of the year.
True, Antetokounmpo is injured, having suffered a calf strain on January 23, but he is expected back in February and is going through workouts to get back on the floor. In a season in which Antetokounmpo has struggled with health, though, the Bucks would prefer he takes his time.
As one Eastern Conference executive said on Thursday, “If the Bucks had their way, I don’t think he would play again this year, but it is going to be up to him. Their season is not going anywhere and their best bet is to just preserve him and see where things are in the summer. You’re going to see a lot of teams with that approach.”
Bucks Protecting Their Asset?
Indeed, the Bucks would not be alone in cutting off Antetokounmpo from a return to the court. The Wizards are expected to be very slow in allowing newly acquired Anthony Davis back on the floor, and Trae Young is being held out, too. Washington traded for both within the last month and could seek to put them back on the trade market next year.
There are questions, too, about how much Jaren Jackson Jr. will play for the Jazz down the stretch after he was acquired from Memphis.
It’s something we’ve seen around the NBA more frequently, and not just with star players acquired via trade. Last year in Utah, the Jazz were fined $100,000 for not making star Lauri Markkanen available in March, and the league will be on the lookout for those kinds of violations again.
With Antetokounmpo’s calf injury–and with the hand injury that has been keeping Davis out–it could be difficult for the league to suggest they should be playing. But the situations will be closely monitored.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sends Conflicting Messages
There’s also a feeling that Antetokounmpo, after having spent the past eight months in the wringer of trade rumors, would prefer to simply get back on the court and play for the Bucks, even if it meant an injury risk.
Antetokounmpo has not exactly made his intentions clear on his future with the Bucks, saying he wants to retire in Milwaukee but also that he wants to compete for championships. The problem with that is that the Bucks have exhausted their assets trying to get different combinations of teammates for Antetokounmpo, and this is just not going to be a championship roster for the foreseeable future.
So, Antetokounmpo’s goals are at odds with the Bucks’ reality. Still, on Thursday, Antetokounmpo wrote on Instagram, “Legends don’t chase. They attract.” That is true, but attracting is, unfortunately, limited by trade and salary cap rules.