The uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks was all analysts could talk about ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season. However, the two-time MVP decided to stick it through with the team that drafted him. Fast forward a month into the season though, it seems like there’s a lot of friction between the two parties, which makes the Greek superstar’s tenure with the Bucks on shaky grounds. At least, that’s what Stephen A. Smith argues to be the case.
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Wednesday, December 3, was a nightmare for Bucks fans. Earlier in the day, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst reported that Antetokounmpo had requested a trade in the offseason. Of course, that didn’t lead anywhere, but the news doesn’t stop there.
Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, had begun conversations about his future with the Bucks. It seems from the outside looking in, the relationship between Giannis and the Bucks has only continued to worsen since.
It doesn’t help that the Bucks don’t have a championship team built around the nine-time All-Star to convince him to stay. As a result, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe it’s in Antetokounmpo’s best interest to remain loyal to Milwaukee.
“The Milwaukee Bucks should trade Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Smith proclaimed on ESPN’s First Take. “Put him out of his misery. You are going nowhere with him, and it’s not his fault.”
It has been a rough few years for Milwaukee. Following their 2021 NBA championship, they reached the second round the next year. However, the past three seasons have ended in first-round exits.
Antekounmpo has made it clear he wants to win. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be doing much winning if he were to stay in Milwaukee.
“Look at who he’s playing with. They’re not beating the Knicks. They’re not beating Detroit,” Smith said.
Coincidentally, the Bucks are fresh off the heels of upsetting the Detroit Pistons in their last game. Smith was speaking in terms of a seven-game series. And quite frankly, teams like the New York Knicks and Pistons have more talent than the Bucks, as are a lot of teams in the East right now.
The current playoff seeding is enough of an indicator. Milwaukee is sitting on the 10th seed in the East with a 10-13 record, which speaks for itself.
Head coach Doc Rivers has also received some flak but has remained firm toward the media. He recently voiced his frustration regarding all the questions about Antetokounmpo’s future, which Smith believes is pointless posturing.
“What is [Giannis] supposed to do [considering all of the team’s losing]? You know better than that, Doc Rivers,” Smith said.
Although this isn’t the first time Antetokounmpo’s name has surfaced in trade talks, the actual framework for a trade remains up in the air. Looking around the league at other blockbuster deals, the Bucks could receive a massive haul.
The Brooklyn Nets acquired five first-round picks in their trade with the New York Knicks for Mikal Bridges. The Memphis Grizzlies got four first-round picks for Desmond Bane. Those two aren’t even All-Star players. For someone like Antetokounmpo, who is a top-five player in the league, we could be looking at one of the biggest trade packages in NBA history.
That’s the type of deal the Bucks would require since they don’t have their own draft capital to completely bottom out. Every Bucks first-round pick until 2031 is a pick swap.
In a perfect world, the Bucks would refrain from trading Antetokounmpo entirely. Unfortunately, that isn’t the type of world the NBA is. The trade deadline isn’t until February. There are still a few months remaining to see whether Giannis will have a new home.
