Giannis Antetokounmpo is the big name in the 2025 NBA offseason. The nine-time All-Star is under contract through the 2028-29 season, but could be traded this offseason as the Milwaukee Bucks look to reset themselves.
The Athletic‘s Sam Amick recenlty appeared on The Ringer‘s “Real Ones” NBA podcast, and discussed the strategy by Milwaukee’s GM Jon Horst.
Jon Horst’s Trade Strategy Could Lead Giannis Antetokounmpo To Stay
Antetokounmpo was the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and has spent his entire career with Milwaukee. He won back-to-back MVPs in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, and led the Bucks to an NBA Championship in 2021.
He has been the face of Milwaukee basketball since being drafted, averaging 23.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks over this 12-year career. Since winning the title, the Bucks have been competitive in the Eastern Conference, but have struggled in the postseason.
A five-game first-round exit this year could trigger a reset for Milwaukee, and Antetokounmpo could be heading out the door. The 2021 NBA Finals MVP has hinted at wanting to leave if the team ever began a rebuild, but a trade request has yet to be made.
The Bucks are in a tough spot. They don’t control their first-round draft picks until 2031, so tanking after Antetokounmpo leaves is not an option. They’ll likely ask for quality players instead of draft capital, but that would decimate the team Antetokounmpo is traded to.
The “Real Ones” podcast recently broke down the Antetokounmpo situation, and what Horst may be planning.
Show host Logan Murdock began the discussion by talking about the Golden State Warriors potentially trying to acquire Antetokounmpo. He then asked Amick about the three major players in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonion Spurs, and Houston Rockets.
Amick began by mentioning how, although he’s yet to leave or even request a trade, Antetokounmpo has never been a “10 toes down” guy in Milwaukee. “Every time he had a contract or every time they fell short of a championship…Giannis has never been Mr “10 toes down” in Milwaukee, no matter what.” Amick continued, “It has been, in the offseason, ‘I’m gonna talk to John Horst, the GM. I’m gonna talk to my people, see what I think.’
“So, this has been something they’ve been going through for the better part of a decade.”
Amick went on to break down the scenarios for Houston, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. The entire panel recognized Antetokounmpo’s love for Milwaukee, but they all felt that he’ll eventually request a trade.
Towards the end of the segment, Amick said, “They want every scenario to gut the other team. And Jon Horst is going to go for blood here, I’m telling you. He just got a new extension. He has the organization’s backing. Jon is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis—he’s trying to do right by the Bucks.
“And that means that if every scenario in play leaves the other team so gutted that Giannis might not actually be in that much better of a situation, then maybe that’s where he looks at the room and says, “All right, let me stay put.”
Antetokounmpo is a bona fide superstar in the NBA and should have more than one Finals appearance on his resume. Milwaukee has tried to build around him, recently adding Damian Lillard, but they haven’t seen able to get over the hump since the title in 2021. If this is the end for Antetokounmpo with the Bucks, then he’ll go out as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
