Much has been made about where Giannis Antetokounmpo stands with his long-term team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The nine-time All-Star only recently claimed that he was locked in with this new-look Milwaukee team, but opened the door for a potential exit in “six, seven months.”
That, in addition to the fact that the Bucks were knocked out in the first round of playoffs each of the past three seasons, has led Marc Stein to believe that a potential exit is still very much on the cards, per The Stein Line. However, the NBA insider also claimed that he does not see it happening mid-season.
“I've always believed that a Giannis deal, if it ever happens, would be an offseason thing,” he explained, claiming that the Greek Freak simply does not want to “think about this stuff once the season is underway.”
Stein referenced Giannis’ recent comment describing the idea of a trade elsewhere as a “temptation,” as the 30-year-old had insisted talk about a move away only “starts when the season ends [and lasts] until the season begins,” via Yahoo Sports.
Hence, while Stein believes that the 2025-26 campaign will be a “make-or-break” season as far as Giannis’ future is concerned, any potential trade should only happen next offseason.
Giannis Antetokounmpo set to decide future after 2025-26 campaign?
Stein went on to talk about how Antetokounmpo has historically responded to roster shakeups by signing contract extensions.
“It happened in December 2020 after the Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday and it happened again in October 2023 after the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard. Milwaukee's latest high-stakes dice roll — waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner away from Indiana — has not led to an Act 3 from the same script,” he explained.
However, the reason behind this, per Marc Stein, is that he is not even eligible to sign another extension until October 2026.
“This season, in fact, is Year 1 on the three-year, $175 million new pact he signed shortly after Lillard's arrival,” Stein said.
Hence, in such a scenario, it appears as though Antetokounmpo is waiting to see how the upcoming campaign shapes up before making a decision over his future once the 2026 offseason arrives. Stein referenced Giannis’ Media Day comments about the Myles Turner move being “incredible” for the franchise, which comes alongside major questions about their ability to compete next season.
The insider claimed that the Bucks’ outlook for next season has been “generally grim” due to multiple reasons.
“Who's Milwaukee's third-best player? And, can the Bucks get enough quality guard play in support of the frontcourt wrecking ball who remains universally regarded as the East's best player?” he said.
Hence, Antetokounmpo appears set to bide his time, with the upcoming season set to play a major role in where he ends up post it.
