Giannis Reportedly in 'Fact-Finding' Mode on Bucks Future Amid NBA Trade Rumors
Even though school typically ends in May, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will be spending some time educating himself on other teams to figure out the best path for his future in the NBA.
Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, Antetokounmpo is currently in "fact-finding mode" and talking about his situation "with trusted confidantes while making it clear that he’s reading the room here."
This comes on the heels of ESPN's Shams Charania reporting on Monday that Antetokounmpo is "open-minded about exploring" if his best long-term fit is in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
Amick emphasized that Antetokounmpo is not yet in a "one-foot-out-the-door situation" and could be open to a potential "gap year" plan that would keep him with the Bucks where they use next season to make tweaks to their roster and offensive system with the idea they could have a lot of wiggle room to make significant upgrades in the summer of 2026:
"More specifically, there were lessons learned from the latest Pacers series that he’d like to see applied (if he stays, of course). Indiana’s frenetic pace, devastating ball movement and clear delineation of roles up and down the roster caused major problems for the Bucks’ defense. There’s a belief that it could be, in some form, replicated in Milwaukee."
The Athletic's Eric Nehm noted that if Antetokounmpo stays and takes the gap-year approach, the Bucks' flexibility could be buoyed by Damian Lillard ($58.5 million player option) and Kyle Kuzma ($20.4 million) potentially being attractive trade candidates entering the final season of their contracts.
Nehm also pointed out the Bucks will have the rights to their first-round draft picks from 2031 to '33, with the ability to use two of them in a potential trade.
That scenario would likely require Antetokounmpo to punt on having any shot of competing for a title next season, just given the state of Milwaukee's roster, Lillard's uncertainty to play in 2025-26 as he recovers from a torn Achilles and limited financial flexibility to make upgrades.
Antetokounmpo, who will turn 31 on Dec. 6, hasn't advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs since the Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals. They have lost in the first round each of the last three years.
The Bucks will be hoping that Antetokounmpo's past comments about only wanting to play for one franchise in his career give them a leg up as general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers figure out a path forward this summer.
Antetokounmpo is one of three finalists for the 2024-25 NBA MVP award. This will mark the ninth consecutive year he has finished in the top seven in MVP, including top-four finishes in each of the last seven years including the 2024-25 campaign.
