Giannis Antetokounmpo's immediate future was the main talking point of this NBA offseason. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar gave serious thought to his future with the organization he has spent the first 12 years of his career with, and this led to trade conversations between his team and the New York Knicks.
As Giannis gave serious thought to his future, the Knicks emerged as the “only place” the Bucks star wanted to play outside of Milwaukee, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. This led to real trade conversations in August between the two sides, talks that were described as an “exclusive negotiating window” by Charania.
Ultimately, no trade was reached not only because of the Knicks' lack of overall assets, but also because the Bucks never seriously intended to move the two-time MVP. Milwaukee insists New York never made a compelling enough offer to continue negotiations.
Despite several teams around the league contacting the Bucks about a potential Giannis trade, New York had emerged as Giannis' preferred alternative outside Milwaukee.
Why the Knicks deal never landed
The Knicks have long been linked to Antetokounmpo.
With things not going well in Milwaukee and Giannis continuing to signal that he wanted to compete for championships every year, the Knicks began to see themselves at the top of the list for potential offseason suitors. When the opportunity came their way to hold serious conversations with the Bucks this summer, Leon Rose and his front office did not hesitate.
However, New York's lack of draft picks and tradable assets complicated their pursuit. The Knicks did not go “all-out” for Giannis during their discussions with the Bucks, and they did not make a “strong enough effort” to pursue the nine-time All-Star, according to ESPN.
From the Knicks' perspective, they believe the Bucks never entertained the possibility in earnest. Meanwhile, Milwaukee maintains that the window was an exploratory measure, not a commitment.
The Bucks have long made their stance on Antetokounmpo clear, as they've held zero interest in parting ways with him through the years.
General manager Jon Horst and his team have continued to brainstorm ways to try and build another championship-contending roster around Giannis in Milwaukee. That is why they have been aggressive with trading Khris Middleton at the trade deadline and moving on from Damian Lillard this offseason in favor of signing Myles Turner.
Horst has one goal, and that is to assure Giannis that Milwaukee is the place for him to spend the remainder of his career. But with Antetokounmpo already signaling he would be open to a trade to an Eastern Conference rival, perhaps his time with the Bucks has already reached a point of no return.
At Bucks Media Day on September 30, Giannis spoke about his future with reporters and made it clear that his focus is solely on winning a championship.
“Guys, every summer, there's truth to every report. (It's) the same thing I've been saying my entire career. I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” Antetokounmpo said on a Zoom call since he was stuck in Greece with COVID. “I think it's a disservice to basketball to not wanting to compete at a high level, to want your season to end in April.
“It's pretty much the same. I had the same thoughts last year. I had the same thoughts two years ago. I had the same thoughts five years ago in 2020. It's never going to change.”
While the Bucks had feared that Antetokounmpo would formally request a trade this offseason, that moment never happened. Instead, Giannis shared his feelings and doubts with Horst during his visit to Greece at the end of July, according to ESPN.
What the future holds for Giannis and the Bucks is a major unknown.
Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, Milwaukee will continue to be the center of attention, especially if they struggle early in the year. If frustrations continue to mount and the Bucks' championship window slams shut, that formal trade request could come from Giannis in the middle of the season.
Antetokounmpo is clearly looking ahead at what his future in this league looks like, and he will keep his options open based on the Bucks' overall performance on the court.
The rest of the NBA continues to monitor this situation closely, as Giannis could become one of the greatest players to ever be traded in the near future.
