Giannis Trade Rumors: Knicks, 'Whole' NBA 'Watching' Bucks Star Ahead of Free Agency

After the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round for the second time in as many seasons, teams are reportedly monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo's status with the franchise.

"The whole league is obviously watching what happens with Giannis. Certainly, the Knicks are one of them," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Monday on Get Up.

Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $175.9 million extension with the Bucks last October and is locked under contract through at least the 2026-27 season.

The only way the Bucks would even consider moving Antetokounmpo is if he requested a trade, and the two-time NBA MVP has given no indication he wants to leave Milwaukee. As recently as two weeks ago, Windhorst said there were "no rumbles" about Antetokounmpo wanting out of Milwaukee.

In essence, this may be a pie-in-the-sky hope from around the league rather than any changing of course.

The Bucks made a major splash last offseason by trading for Damian Lillard, giving Antetokounmpo by far the best teammate of his career. Lillard and Antetokounmpo were an imperfect fit as they tried to navigate how to share the offensive load, and Milwaukee floundered after firing coach Adrian Griffin and replacing him with Doc Rivers.

The Bucks never got a chance to test out how their superstar pairing would look together in the playoffs after Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury that kept him out of their entire first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers. Lillard also sat out two games of the series.

It would be borderline malpractice for the Bucks front office to not run things back with Antetokounmpo and Lillard, adjusting their supporting cast as needed. Barring some unforeseen change of heart, it will be at least the summer of 2025 before Bucks fans should worry about Antetokounmpo pushing for a change of scenery.