NBA Insider Expects Bucks GM to 'Gut the Other Team' in Potential Giannis Trade

An NBA insider believes the Milwaukee Bucks will go to great lengths to get as much as possible from any team that attempts to trade for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason.

Speaking Friday on The Ringer's Real Ones (h/t HoopsHype.com), Sam Amick of The Athletic noted that he envisions Bucks general manager Jon Horst attempting to "gut" the roster of potential Giannis trade partners, saying:

"Like, they want every scenario to gut the other team. And Jon Horst is going to go for blood here, I'm telling you. He just got a new extension. He has the organization's backing. Jon is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis—he's trying to do right by the Bucks. And that means that if every scenario in play leaves the other team so gutted that Giannis might not actually be in that much better of a situation, then maybe that's where he looks at the room and says, 'All right, let me stay put.'"

Following a third consecutive first-round playoff exit, rumors and speculation ran rampant regarding a potential Giannis trade.

They were compounded by the fact that the Bucks' No. 2 scoring option, Damian Lillard, suffered a torn Achilles during the playoffs, which means he may not be able to play at all next season.

On top of that, center Brook Lopez and guard Gary Trent Jr. are set to hit free agency this offseason, while Bobby Portis can as well if he declines his player option.

That would leave Antetokounmpo with very little to work with next season, perhaps giving both him and the Bucks incentive to seek a trade.

NBA insider Marc Stein said earlier this month on the ALL NBA Podcast (h/t RealGM) that he doesn't believe Giannis wants to outright ask the Bucks for a trade, and he doesn't see the Bucks trading him unless that happens.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Giannis is "open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere."

That suggests Antetokounmpo is amenable to a trade, although there hasn't yet been any indication that he has requested one.

The 30-year-old Antetokounmpo is one of the best NBA players currently and of all time with nine All-Star selections, two NBA MVP Awards, one NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, one NBA championship and one NBA Finals MVP Award to his credit.

He continues to produce at an elite level as well, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game in 2024-25.

Giannis is a franchise-changing player who could possibly take a team from the fringes of playoff contention to championship contention, so it comes as little surprise that the Bucks would want a massive haul in return for him.

However, if Amick is right about the Bucks not placing any importance on accommodating Giannis and finding a cushy landing spot for him, it is fair to wonder if any team is able or willing to meet the potential asking price.