The trade deadline, which is now less than a week away has heated up with the recent revelation that the Milwaukee Bucks are eagerly listening to packages surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s a two-time MVP in his prime, which is why, unsurprisingly, there’s a bunch of franchises calling the Bucks up. The urgency, however, stems from another reason.
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Teams want Giannis before February 6th, which is the deadline. All signs point towards that happening, because failing that, there could be issues with extending his contract.
Currently, Giannis is on contract with the Bucks until the 2027-28 season, with an option year in the deal. So, by getting him before next week, they would be able to offer him a much longer deal which would begin in the off-season. Bobby Marks, an NBA insider, recently spoke about the same.
“If this passes and we get to the offseason he can’t be extension eligible until likely January,” Marks said on ESPN.
If a team gets Giannis in the coming days, they can offer him a long-term extension worth $275 million as early as October. However, if no agreement is reached by 6th, the team that ultimately gets him won’t have as much extension rights. It could end up being a smaller length contract with lesser money, something the Greek Freak may not be a big fan of.
“So there is some type of urgency to get a deal done within the next week here,” Marks added.
Bobby Marks thinks there is some sense of urgency to trade Giannis by the deadline due to his contract extension
“If this passes and we get to the offseason he can’t be extension eligble until likely January. So there is some type of urgency to get a deal done within the next… https://t.co/QmQW5q8izE pic.twitter.com/JGZS30GVSk
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 29, 2026
Currently, Giannis is out with a calf strain that will keep him out for several weeks, but he is expected to be healthy by the time the playoffs begin. Of course, the Bucks’ entrance into the Playoffs is quite iffy to say the least. They lost by 10 points to the Washington Wizards earlier today, which keeps them in 12th, two spots away from the play-in positions.
The New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors, both big market teams, are reportedly the favorites to sign him. Both will get a taste of post-season ball unless something goes horribly wrong, and Giannis’ addition will only fuel championship hopes for the respective fanbases.
They better hurry up and close a deal by February 6th. The clock’s ticking.
