What’s ahead for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks?

a day later nba trade deadline, giannis antetokounmpo Standing on the sideline of the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, waiting for the basketball to be thrown his way.

His two young sons, Liam and Maverick, each had one in hand. One by one they mustered their strength to fire shots with two hands in the air towards their 6 feet 11 inches tall father.

Antetokounmpo took a ball and dribbled a crossover as his youngest son fell to the floor, before they all headed toward center court. Antetokounmpo then began treating the basketball like a soccer ball, tossing it with his foot and then over his head while his children watched in awe, his mind seeming to be more at ease than that of the fan base watching his every move.

it was last friday milwaukee bucks‘The final home game before the All-Star break, and the team planned to honor Antetokounmpo’s 10th consecutive All-Star selection before tipoff.

Standing in the center court, he was surrounded by his two sons, two daughters, wife and mother.

bobby portisHis longest serving partner took the mic first.

“Appreciate everything you do for the city,” Portis said as the crowd in Milwaukee chanted “MVP.”

then his brother thanasisHis partner for six seasons in Milwaukee took his turn.

“I’m proud of you, the team is proud of you, everybody is proud of you,” Thanasis said. “Don’t stop.”

It was a happy moment for the Bucks, their fans, players and organization collective exhalation.

Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future The team was in trouble since the beginning of the seasonAnd by last Thursday’s deadline the pressure had increased even further.

Antetokounmpo’s frustration with the general state of the team had been increasing over the years. Despite winning 58, 49, and 48 games over the past three seasons, the Bucks suffered embarrassing first-round playoff losses in each of them.

In August, the team entered into a special negotiation with new York KnicksAntetokounmpo’s first real flirtation with another franchise. The conversation went nowhere but sent a strange, misdirected message at Milwaukee’s media day in September.

This awkwardness was further compounded when the team started the season 8–12, including a seven-game losing streak, and fell to the bottom of the standings. Antetokounmpo’s return from injury last month failed to get the Bucks back into playoff contention, leading them to boasting about the team’s roster after the gameThe young players were present at it, and were wondering why their voices were not being heard.

The result of all this was that for the first time the franchise was heard Aggressive offers from a handful of teams On deadline. box still never felt the urgency to part ways with Antetokounmpo, team sources told ESPN. And, after another tense transaction cycle, the Bucks still have aspirations of saving the Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee.

The question, then, is for how long. And what could be the next inflection point.

hope runs again Friday morning. Coach Doc Rivers said he could sense the relief on the team at shootaround: “You could see guys jumping around the gym.”

After the deadline passed, Antetokounmpo posted an image from “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, who was under investigation for financial fraud as CEO of his firm, tells his employees, “I’m not leaving.”

He captioned the post, “Legends don’t chase, they attract.”

This post enraged his colleagues even more. Antetokounmpo even texted Portis directly with a deer emoji and the “100 sign.”

“Understood,” Portis replied.

The Bucks won on Friday night win 105-99 Above Indiana Pacers This was Milwaukee’s first three-game winning streak of the season.

Said Rivers, who has mocked the notion of an Antetokounmpo trade throughout the season:

“I’m glad it’s over.”

However, in reality this is not the case.

game

Stephen A.: Giannis is giving the Bucks more control than they expect

Stephen A. Smith says Giannis Antetokounmpo is giving the Bucks more control than they want in regards to their trade talks.

Sources told ESPN that both sides are holding off discussions about the franchise star’s future until the summer.

Antetokounmpo has one year remaining on a three-year extension he signed in 2023, and he has a $62.8 million player option for the 2027–28 season. He will become eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million through the 2030–31 season in October. What he signals about his intentions regarding that contract will ultimately determine whether his future remains in Milwaukee.

But a more pressing dilemma for the Bucks is looming in the background.

After Antetokounmpo’s children left the court on Friday, the two-time MVP put himself through a pregame shooting routine for the third time this week, a routine that has become more vigorous with each day.

When Antetokounmpo On January 23, he suffered a strain in his right calf.It was his second calf injury of the season, he estimated it would rule him out for four to six weeks. Although the Bucks did not release a specific timeline for his return, sources told ESPN that Antetokounmpo could aim to return at the shorter end of his projected window: February 20, four weeks from his initial injury, which would be the team’s first game after the All-Star break.

After a largely steady workout on Tuesday, by Friday he was working on his post-up performance in the paint. He slid his feet from one side of the street to the other in front of an instructor to test his mobility.

He has publicly stated that he intends to play when healthy, and Rivers has reiterated the same: The organization has no plans to close it down.

Which raises the next uncomfortable question for the Bucks: Is it better to pander to their star and make a run at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race while hoping for a surprise run? Or is it better to lock up their star, guarantee the top draft pick, acquire more draft assets and then evaluate the scenario together this summer? Despite winning three times in a row, Milwaukee is at number 12 eastern conferencetrailing behind charlotte hornets By two games for last place in the play-in tournament.

The Bucks’ 21-29 record is currently eighth-worst in the league, which would give them a chance at their first lottery pick since 2016 (Thon Maker, No. 10).

If the team remains out of the play-in tournament, it is incentivized to maximize its lottery odds given the deep 2026 draft class (the Bucks own the lesser selection between 14-40). New Orleans Pelicans; Whichever is better will be chosen atlanta hawks).

Rivers acknowledged that the Bucks have discussed his potential draft pick.

“The first thing for us is to get Giannis playing and healthy,” he said. “And then everything will be decided after that.”

Antetokounmpo’s return to the lineup will undoubtedly make the struggling Bucks team more competitive. He is 15-15 with him in the lineup this season and 6-14 without him. But the more Antetokounmpo plays in the second half, the more he could hurt the team’s chances of building a contender around him by hindering the Bucks’ chances of obtaining a high draft pick, especially with teams with similar records around them – like Chicago Bulls And memphis grizzlies – Taking action on a trade deadline to make the situation worse in the short term.

A high draft selection makes even more sense for a Bucks team with limited resources to improve their roster around Antetokounmpo. Starting on draft night, the Bucks will have three tradable first-round selections in 2026, 2031 and 2033.

“Everything they do is in service of Antetokounmpo,” a Western Conference executive told ESPN. “Playing for the draft pick would definitely be in his best interest, but if Giannis wants to try for a play-in, he’ll try for a play-in.”

For now, the The Bucks have shown no signs that they are turning the page this season. The team is examining the buyout market to strengthen its roster Cam Thomas addedwho was recently pardoned Brooklyn NetsTo push toward the postseason.

“I don’t think our season is lost,” the Bucks center said. miles turner “It’s a two-month downhill sprint after the All-Star break. Anything can happen,” he said in the locker room on Friday.

It may be possible for the Bucks to satisfy both interests. dallas mavericks Made the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed last season, defeating Sacramento Kings before losing to the Grizzlies in the first round. A month later, thanks to some lottery luck, they acquired the No. 1 pick and changed the direction of their franchise by selecting cooper flag.

game

Giannis’ top games in the first half of the 2025-26 season

Watch Giannis Antetokounmpo’s best plays in the first half of the 2025-26 season.

The criteria for the Bucks and general manager Jon Horst is not only to save the team’s streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances, but also to show Antetokounmpo that he has an opportunity to compete for a second championship in Milwaukee. After winning the 2021 NBA title, the Bucks have won one playoff series.

Horst has taken steps to motivate Antetokounmpo to sign his first two extensions: in 2020, after the Bucks’ acquisition junior holidayAnd then after a blockbuster deal for acquisition in 2023 damian lillard. Last summer, the Bucks made a drastic move to create cap room by waiving Lillard and signing Turner to show Antetokounmpo that they were building a contender.

“Being on a team with Giannis all these years, it’s like an every year thing,” said Portis, who spent six seasons playing alongside Antetokounmpo with the Bucks. “You just have to prepare for it. As soon as May comes and our season ends, it will come right back. Really, it’s nothing you can run away from. It’s just what comes with it. So it’s off for now, but will be determined later.”