The Milwaukee Bucks’ season is already over. There are a few games left this season, but they’ve already been eliminated from playoff contention.
If that’s not bad enough, Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently at odds with the team because he wants to play while the Bucks want to keep him sidelined. Recently, Antetokounmpo’s side of it has emerged.
Why Does Giannis Antetokounmpo Want to Play?
ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed on NBA Today that Antetokounmpo wants to play strictly because he wants to take the floor with his brothers.
“Giannis is trying to ramp up this week from my understanding,” Charania said. “…He wants to play with his brothers before the regular season ends, he’s making very clear behind the scenes that’s his goal. This is a fluid situation. This is an open investigation.”
Shams:
“Giannis is trying to ramp up this week from my understanding…he wants to play with his brothers before the regular season ends, he’s making very clear behind the scenes that’s his goal” pic.twitter.com/9rBY5ILlh9
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 6, 2026
Okay, well, that’s understandable. It’s pretty cool to see brothers take the floor together, especially since it’s so rare. That’s especially the case with the Bucks, who, on top of their two-time MVP, also have Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo.
It makes sense if Giannis wants to take the floor with his brothers while he still can. Granted, there’s justified skepticism that the other two Antetokounmpo brothers in question would be in the NBA if it weren’t for Giannis, but still. History is history, no matter how one slices it.
At this point, as long as the Bucks put him on a minutes restriction, what could it hurt to see those three on the court at the same time? The Bucks have absolutely nothing going on right now, so they will take whatever good PR they can get.
Their tension with Giannis isn’t a good look for them (to be fair, it’s looking bad for all sides involved), so they may as well grant his wish, since they have pretty much granted all his other wishes.
With things expected to get super ugly between the Bucks and Giannis this summer, think of this as the calm before the storm. Or, honestly, the brief intermission between one intense storm and another.
The Bucks don’t want to risk Giannis getting hurt should they put him on the trade market, but with what he’s done for them and what he’s had to go through with the Bucks, they owe it to him.
So much has gone wrong for Milwaukee this season (on top of everything that’s blown up in their faces since 2023) that having the three Antetokounmpos take the floor together could be like euthanasia for the Giannis era in Milwaukee.
