The Milwaukee Bucks saw their third straight first-round playoff exit in 2025. Their consistent postseason struggles have only raised more questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the team.
There’s been some buzz that Antetokounmpo could explore his options, though nothing has been confirmed about him wanting out. The latest intel from Marc Stein suggests the Bucks are still optimistic about the two-time MVP staying put.
The Bucks ‘Hopeful’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Ask Out
Stein revealed on “The Stein Line” that the Bucks believe their superstar won’t ask out this NBA offseason.
Sunday Best around-the-league NBA notes with all the latest trade talk, NBA Draft Combine chatter and the emergence of Minnesota's Micah Nori in the Suns' coaching search as they move to Round 2: https://t.co/UyOdD6fTQ3 pic.twitter.com/FU18qeq8Od
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
“The Bucks, league sources say, remain hopeful Antetokounmpo will decide against asking to be dealt after a third successive first-round playoff exit and choose instead to extend a career that has spanned 12 seasons as a Buck to date,” Stein wrote.
Still, despite the internal optimism, Stein added that teams around the league are bracing for a trade request.
“Anticipation around the league regarding Antetokounmpo’s availability via trade, meanwhile, continues to bubble based on the belief that it is only a matter of time before the 30-year-old finally concedes that a contender can no longer be built around him in Brewtown and that what Milwaukee is feeling is false hope.
“The wait for clarity continues,” Stein wrote.
Milwaukee’s biggest challenge is building a title contender around Antetokounmpo — something they’ve struggled with since winning the championship in 2021. Things are even more complicated now, as the team is expected to enter the 2025–26 season without Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
If Antetokounmpo holds off on a trade request, the Bucks may have to consider moving Lillard just to stay afloat. But that’s easier said than done. Lillard would only be attractive to other teams if he provides cap flexibility, meaning Milwaukee likely wouldn’t get much in return.
Antetokounmpo may be willing to go down with the ship, but the question is, will he be there if and when it fully submerges, or will he jump ship before it reaches that point? The Bucks are in a pretty grim spot at the moment. They don’t have the assets to acquire more help and have lost Antetokounmpo’s second-in-command for a while, and he may not be the same when he returns.
Even so, he and Lillard weren’t exactly meshing together. The Bucks star may be willing to give this one more go, but that elephant in the room is becoming impossible to avoid.