Giannis Injury Update, New Rumors on Timeline to Return to Bucks After NBA Trade Deadline Talks

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo might be returning to the court shortly after the NBA All-Star break, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier.

"When Antetokounmpo strained his right calf on Jan. 23, his second calf injury of the season, he estimated it would sideline him for four to six weeks," Collier wrote. "Although the Bucks did not release a specific timeline for his return, sources told ESPN that Antetokounmpo could be aiming to come back on the shorter end of his projected window: Four weeks from his initial injury would be Feb. 20, the team's first game following the All-Star break."

Collier added that Giannis has expanded his on-court workouts, a sign of his progress in rehab.

Injuries have unfortunately been a trend for Antetokounmpo throughout the 2025-26 campaign. He was sidelined for several weeks in December because of a right calf strain and then having a recurrence of the same injury.

While the two-time MVP laid out a rough estimate for his recovery period, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers later said that "there's no timetable" for his return. Rivers added that the team had given "no thought" to keeping Antetokounmpo sidelined for the rest of the year amid trade rumors.

When healthy, Antetokounmpo has once again looked like one of the best players in the league, putting up 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists, but he's been sidelined for 20 of Milwaukee's 50 games up to this point.

Giannis Drops 37

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The Bucks have struggled without their star, as they're sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 21-29. If Antetokounmpo's absence extends beyond the expected period, Milwaukee could be facing its first season with no playoff berth since the 2015-16 campaign.