The trade saga surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dragging on for months. Since last summer, reports of growing dissatisfaction have alternated with declarations of loyalty. Yet a trade has long been inevitable for both sides.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it abundantly clear that he wants to compete for titles. He has no desire to languish in the middle of the standings. At the same time, he is not someone who would simply abandon the franchise that has made him a millionaire. At least, that’s how he still sees himself.
Antetokounmpo’s inner conflict has been raging for many months now and is far from resolved – on the contrary. While the Bucks saw their status as title contenders threatened last season, the team now has to face the reality of the playoffs taking place without them. It is therefore not surprising that the Greek player found clear words after the defeat against the OKC Thunder and took his teammates to task. He is used to better and demands it.
The team’s sporting misery also has its origins in the decisions made last summer. Hoping to show strength to their franchise player, the Bucks bought Damian Lillard out of his contract – a classic case of making things worse. The move was intended to make the team competitive in the short term in view of Lillard’s Achilles tendon rupture, but it had exactly the opposite effect. A big replacement signing failed to materialize – but that was not even possible given the already expensive roster. Lillard’s contract, which now runs for five years at just under $22.5 million each, did the rest.
Giannis evades questions about his future: “I’m taking it day by day.”
Since the loss of his co-star, with whom Giannis never really warmed up, the Bucks’ dependence on Antetokounmpo has become even more apparent. The team is an incredible 20.6 points better with the Greek on the court than without him. No other team in the league is so dependent on a single player. The 3-11 record in games without Antetokounmpo gives a glimpse of the post-Giannis era. The star player himself is known to not shy away from the press on this issue, but rather uses it to his advantage time and again. This blunt exertion of pressure began during the summer training camp, when the 31-year-old made it clear: “I’ve said this several times before: I want to be in a position to win.” At the time, he was still convinced that he could put himself in that position with the Bucks. “If I change my mind in six or seven months, I think that’s only human.”
Well, not six or seven, but just three months later, trade discussions surrounding him are in full swing. He was recently asked whether he would be wearing the Milwaukee jersey until the end of the season. “I can’t say,” was his telling response. “I’m just taking it day by day.”
Antetokounmpo to decide on player option in 2027
With every game that takes the Bucks further away from their goal – a return to the NBA throne, or at least a realistic chance of doing so – both parties are growing further apart. Antetokounmpo is aiming for the big prize once again. Milwaukee, on the other hand, no longer has the necessary resources to achieve this. After all, the franchise is not one or two moves away from its ambitions, but rather three or four.
Adding to this is the contract issue. The guaranteed portion of Antetokounmpo’s contract ends in the summer of 2027, before he is allowed to decide on his player option. Whether Milwaukee or not, it is highly unlikely that Giannis will make use of this clause. It is much more realistic that he will want to negotiate the last big contract of his career at the age of 32. Four years, $275 million, a deal until 2031.
Giannis and the Bucks: A cat-and-mouse game
Milwaukee must therefore be aware that their hand will only get worse from now on. Especially since a long-term extension with the Bucks is no longer conceivable.
After their title, the franchise is in continuous decline and increasingly caught between two stools. Playoff ambitions on the one hand, realism on the other. At the same time, it’s also a cat-and-mouse game. Giannis is too proud to demand a trade, and the current regime doesn’t want to lose face by making a trade (which may not bring enough value in return).
Nevertheless, Milwaukee can’t really come to any other conclusion than that a separation is the only right solution. For Giannis’ sake, but also for the sake of their own future.