Is it real this time? On Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Milwaukee Bucks are seeking trade offers for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The on-again, off-again trade cycle that has loomed over the NBA for the past year may be coming to an end.
Antetokounmpo will be eligible for a contract extension in October. Bucks owner Wes Edens has said the team will either extend him or trade him, and fellow owner Jimmy Haslam has set the NBA Draft as the preferred timeline for resolution.
What Are the Key Factors in a Trade Partner?
Championship contention: A team reasonably capable of competing for the 2027 championship. Antetokounmpo is 31 and somewhat injury-prone. This is not a long-term project—if you're trading for him, you're doing it to win now.
Conference preference: Ideally, a team in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo's preference is believed to be remaining in the East.
Trade assets: A partner who can send the Bucks a top young player, multiple draft picks, or a present-day star in his prime. Ideally, the Bucks would get all three.
Extension assurance: Somewhere Antetokounmpo is willing to extend. No team is trading everything it takes to acquire him without assurances that he would stay.
Team-by-Team Trade Likelihood
The NBA has 30 teams. One is the Bucks. The other 29 would likely want to trade for Giannis. Here's how they stack up:
Unlikely Destinations
New Orleans Pelicans (28): They have nothing to trade—they control none of their own first-round picks until 2033. They're in the West, not a contender.
Memphis Grizzlies (26): Full steam ahead into a rebuild. They're years away from appealing to a veteran star.
Chicago Bulls: At square one. Antetokounmpo isn't looking for a rebuilding roster.
Possible but Unlikely
San Antonio Spurs (24): One of the few teams that feasibly could but probably won't. The Spurs have the assets, and Antetokounmpo might sign off on playing there even in the West. But Victor Wembanyama has been consistent in wanting the Spurs to build internally and patiently.
Oklahoma City Thunder (23): Same logic applies as the Spurs. If the Thunder lose to the Spurs in the playoffs, it could raise eyebrows about making a drastic move—but they're on their own timeline.