All signs indicate that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s exit from the Milwaukee Bucks is a matter of when, not if.
Despite the superstar forward saying he will never demand a trade, insiders have reported he is ready for a new home and that the Bucks are listening to offers. The New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors are two teams consistently linked to him. Amid that, a report has indicated the Bucks’ specific demands in return for their franchise cornerstone.
Bucks’ Demand in Return for Giannis Antetokounmpo Might Be a ‘Hurdle’ for the Knicks
Drafted No. 15 in 2013, Antetokounmpo has been instrumental in delivering the Bucks’ first championship in 50 years in 2021. However, the team has not advanced past the first round of the playoffs in the past three seasons, despite Antetokounmpo averaging at least 30 points in each of them. This season appears even more troubling, as Milwaukee risks missing the playoffs altogether and is winless in its last five games.
As a result, it seems logical that Antetokounmpo would want to join a team that gives him another shot at a championship. For the Bucks, however, trading him would mean entering an immediate rebuild. In line with that, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported, “The Bucks are looking for a premier young player(s) and multiple, good draft picks in exchange for one of the three best players in the NBA.”
“The Bucks are looking for a premier young player(s) & multiple, good draft picks in exchange for [Giannis]. The Knicks have neither of those…[Bridges and Towns], per league sources, aren’t believed to have the same value today as when the Knicks traded for them.” @JLEdwardsIII https://t.co/4irC9XmCOK pic.twitter.com/VYOjXAA395
— Dru (@dru_star) February 1, 2026
This is where the Knicks may fall short in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. They lack both a premier young player and significant draft capital. Much of their draft capital was sent away in the trade for Mikal Bridges. While New York does own Washington’s 2026 first-round pick, it is top-eight protected and would likely convert into two second-round picks. As a result, the Knicks would likely need to move at least two of Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns — and that presents a major challenge.
Edwards pointed out, “To get close to what the Bucks are asking for, New York would need to trade two or three players in its starting lineup, most likely OG Anunoby, Bridges and/or Towns. The latter two, per multiple league sources, aren’t believed to have the same value today as when the Knicks traded for them, so that could be a hurdle in itself.”
The Knicks could choose to wait until the summer, when more draft picks become available, but doing so carries the risk of another suitor landing the two-time MVP in the meantime — such as the Warriors.
Golden State can offer a substantial return if it chooses to do so. Reports have suggested that, in the pursuit of Antetokounmpo, everyone except Stephen Curry is expendable. Mike Dunleavy was direct about the situation: “If there’s a great player to be had, we’ve got everything in the war chest that we would be willing to use.” And that assessment appears accurate.
If “everyone” is truly on the table, players such as Jimmy Butler III or Draymond Green could enter the conversation, along with younger pieces like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. From a draft perspective, the Warriors control their own first-round picks over the next seven years and could trade up to four of them — 2026, 2028, 2030 (if 1-20), and 2032 — in addition to offering multiple first-round pick swaps. From a pure asset standpoint, Golden State’s potential package would be difficult to beat.
That said, questions remain about whether a deal will be completed before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. According to Marc Stein of the Stein Line, the Bucks may prefer to hold Antetokounmpo beyond the deadline and revisit talks in the summer, when more options could emerge.
Still, Stein wrote, “Yet it must be noted just as strongly that various teams involved in the Antetokounmpo chase believe that, from his camp’s side, there is a preference to push a trade through before the deadline … even in absence of a clearly stated public demand for such an outcome.” As such, the situation remains the league’s biggest storyline heading into Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
