NBA Trade Rumors: Giannis' Status with Bucks 'Longer Term' Being Monitored by Rivals

Rival NBA teams are reportedly keeping an eye on the "longer term" possibility that an early playoff exit this spring could lead the Milwaukee Bucks to consider a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

The Bucks have not made it back to the Eastern Conference Finals since winning the 2021 title and have been bounced from the first round for two straight seasons.

Despite coaching turnover and a blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard last fall, the Bucks won just a single playoff game last spring with Antetokounmpo sidelined by injury.

According to Bontemps, other NBA teams are now watching to see the Bucks' next move should Lillard and Antetokounmpo suffer another first-round exit this spring.

The Bucks head into Friday ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference through an up-and-down campaign to this point that has seen Antetokounmpo express frustration with his team after a 2-8 start to the campaign.

But Milwaukee has since stabilized at 16-13, putting the team back into a projected playoff spot and leading to a Dec. 5 report by The Athletic's Sam Amick that the Bucks have so far rebuffed teams interested in Antetokounmpo.

Given the lofty expectations for the Bucks' star duo, however, it seems likely nothing short of a long playoff run will completely quiet the trade rumors.

Antetokounmpo is under contract for at least two more seasons and could add a third season with his player option for 2027-28.

According to Spotrac, he will earn $54 million next season, an amount that will tie him with Lillard for the fifth-most lucrative annual salary in the NBA.

For now, the Bucks will focus on getting their two stars healthy and back in the lineup. Both Antetokounmpo and Lillard have missed multiple games with illness and injury and remain questionable heading into Saturday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls.