Dwight Howard Reacts to Latest Giannis Trade Rumors After Urging Bucks Star to Stay at NBA Deadline

Now that the Milwaukee Bucks seem more likely than not to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo for at least the rest of this season, at least one person is taking a victory lap about the decision.

Former All-Star center Dwight Howard reacted positively to the news that Antetokounmpo is going to stay in Milwaukee for the time being after previously urging the two-time MVP not to leave the Bucks.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bucks have indicated to opposing clubs they will keep Antetokounmpo through Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Howard's original post encouraging Antetokounmpo to stay was from May 2025. The outlook for Milwaukee at that point wasn't significantly better than it is now, but there was a way to talk yourself into it turning around.

After the Bucks waived Damian Lillard to stretch his money and sign Myles Turner in free agency, it felt like the bottom dropping out for a desperate front office trying to salvage anything it could around a superstar player.

That's largely how things have played out for the Bucks so far this season. Antetokounmpo has put up MVP-caliber numbers when healthy, and Milwaukee is 15-15 in the 30 games he has played.

Without him in the lineup, the Bucks are 5-14. They are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-29 overall record.

It's hard to see how this is a win for Antetokounmpo, especially since there is a feeling he won't play again this season for the Bucks while they look to protect their first-round pick in the 2026 draft.

If that ends up being the case, this turns into a lost season for Antetokounmpo during the prime of his career.

Howard had a very famous breakup with the Orlando Magic that initially saw him ask for a trade, head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters the star center wanted him fired, then later signed an agreement in which he waived the early-termination option in his contract to remain with the club through the 2012-13 season.

Orlando wound up trading Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the start of the 2012-13 campaign, bringing an end to the awkward saga.

The parting between Howard and Orlando helped kickstart his journey around the NBA. He never played more than three seasons with another club over the next 10 years, though he did win a title as a member of the 2019-20 Lakers.

Antetokounmpo doesn't seem inclined to go through anything that dramatic with the Bucks, but you never know what might happen until there is a definitive resolution to this situation.

The resolution will presumably come in the offseason when Antetokounmpo will become eligible to be traded again, or he could sign an extension with Milwaukee.