Subscribe
Follow Us
After another first-round playoff exit, Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Milwaukee Bucks is seemingly very much up in the air, but it may be a while before Antetokounmpo decides what his next step will be.
The Bucks were knocked out of the postseason by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday following an epic collapse in overtime, marking the third time in as many years that Milwaukee has been eliminated from championship contention in the first round.
In addition to the playoff shortcomings, the short-term future of the franchise is bleak after Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles tendon that will likely sideline him for at least a year. Lillard's two-year max extension kicks in next season, as does Antetokounmpo's three-year extension, which limits what the Bucks, who have traded away nearly all of their draft capital, can do to significantly improve the team.
As a result, there is considerable belief that Antetokounmpo will demand a trade this offseason. But NBA insider Shams Charania does not expect the ‘Greek Freak,' whether he decides to stay or go, to make a decision quickly.
“Everything around Giannis Antetokounmpo, it's going to take some time because they just lost, and the way that he operates, he's gonna talk to his representation. Eventually, there's going to be a meeting between him and the Bucks. And eventually, they're going to have to get on the same page of what this looks like, is there a pathway for this organization to win,” Charania said on the ‘Pat McAfee Show' earlier today. “Pat, I'll give you a quick rundown: they don't have any cap space, they're very limited with players that they can trade with value. So when you think about how you can improve this team, you need players that other teams want to really give up a lot for. They just don't have that.”
"Giannis is gonna talk to his representation & there's gonna be a meeting with the Bucks..
They don't have any cap space & they're very limited with players that they can trade with value..
Their options are very very limited to make this team better" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/GVoUsCt2ke
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 1, 2025
If Antetokounmpo prioritizes championships, of which he already has one, Milwaukee will likely not be the place Antetokounmpo wants to be. The Bucks, as Charania explained, have little room to upgrade their roster substantially, especially with Lillard out injured and earning a projected $54 million salary during the 2025-26 season.
However, Antetokounmpo's affinity for Milwaukee, where he spent his entire NBA career, may be strong enough to override the desire to win. The Bucks drafted Antetokounmpo 15th overall in the 2013 draft and have built their roster around him for most of the last decade, and despite few opportunities, he decided to remain in Milwaukee in years past.
