Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis of Octagon, have officially started conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks about the two-time MVP's future and whether his best fit is with them or elsewhere around the NBA, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
At the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, Giannis' future was a key talking point among teams.
The Bucks' star had given serious thought to his future in the league during the offseason, and while Milwaukee did engage in trade conversations with the New York Knicks, one of Antetokounmpo's preferred destinations, he signaled that he wanted to begin the year with the organization.
With the Bucks struggling at 9-13 and Giannis being their only consistent force, the nine-time All-Star is once again re-evaluating his future in Milwaukee. This time, though, it appears as if trade talks will intensify around the NBA to the point where Antetokounmpo could wind up continuing his career elsewhere.
Talks between Giannis and the Bucks will lead to a resolution in the coming weeks, where it will become clear whether Antetokounmpo will be on the move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
There has been a growing sense that Giannis could be on the move this season, given Milwaukee's slow start to the year, and these new conversations between the player, his agent, and the organization signal the end being near.
One source with direct knowledge of the situation in Milwaukee described the matter to Charania as “the writing is on the wall” for Giannis' eventual departure, barring a dramatic turn of events for the team.
Whether it is New York or elsewhere, Giannis' list of suitors will be anything but short. Countless teams around the league have held longstanding interest in the 30-year-old, and multiple big-market teams will likely be in talks with the Bucks from now until a final decision is made.
The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat are a few of the many teams that have been rumored to have trade interest in Giannis over the years.
This past offseason, Antetokounmpo spoke a lot about his future in the NBA and whether he would remain with the Bucks. In the midst of him and his agent evaluating their options over the summer, Giannis claimed that he is always preparing to find out about himself being traded in the middle of the night, like Luka Doncic did at the trade deadline last year.
“Look, I hope it never happens, but I’m expecting it too. Just because you’ve given a lot to the team doesn’t mean the team won’t do what’s best for itself,” Antetokounmpo told Sport24 from Greece in an exclusive interview in September. “It’s not always the same owners. And when I say owners— the team presidents now — they’re not the same as when we won the championship. It’s someone else.”
Giannis also provided clarity on all the trade rumors surrounding him in October, claiming that he “believes” in the Bucks and his teammates.
“I'm here to lead this team to wherever we can go and it's definitely going to be hard. We're going to take it day-by-day, but I'm here. So, all the other extra stuff does not matter. I think l've communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me.”
How the Bucks perform in December and whether they can rapidly turn their season around will be the biggest factor in Antetokounmpo's ultimate decision to possibly request a trade. To this point, he has remained committed to the Bucks, and he has not made it known that he wishes to play elsewhere.
Through 16 games this season, Giannis has averaged 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 63.9 percent from the floor.
