NBA Fans Disappointed Giannis Reportedly Won't Be Traded by Bucks After Months of Deadline Rumors
Much to the chagrin of basketball fans, the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly not expected to deal superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bucks have informed teams they are keeping Giannis through the deadline, and they are instead focusing on making other trades.
With the blockbuster trade having to wait until the offseason at the earliest, fans expressed their dismay on social media:
While fans weren't thrilled, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports broke down why waiting until the offseason makes sense for the Bucks, as they could receive better offers or potentially even convince Giannis to stay if they fare well in the NBA draft lottery:
Dating back to this past offseason, the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo has been the subject of constant trade rumors.
In October, Charania reported that the New York Knicks were the only team Giannis expressed interest in getting traded to during the offseason, and they were also the only team the Bucks engaged with.
However, the Bucks reportedly felt the Knicks "did not make a strong enough offer," so they opted to go into the 2025-26 season with Giannis still on the roster.
Milwaukee re-signed many of its key players and signed center Myles Turner in free agency in hopes of making another playoff run with Giannis in the fold, but that has not gone according to plan.
With a record of 20-29, the Bucks are 12th in the Eastern Conference, and they are very much in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Amid the team's struggles, Charania reported last week that the Bucks were "starting to listen" to "aggressive offers" opposing teams were making for Giannis.
Charania named the Knicks, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors as the most serious suitors.
All of those teams are in the thick of the playoff race and could have become leading championship contenders by acquiring a 10-time All-Star, two-time NBA MVP and one-time NBA Finals MVP in Giannis, but it doesn't appear as though that will happen until the summer.
Injuries have limited Giannis to 30 games this season, and he is currently out with a calf injury.
He remains dominant when he plays, averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season, but it is fair to wonder if the Bucks will consider shutting him down for the remainder of the campaign given where they are in the standings.
