‘Writing on the wall’ for blockbuster trade… and ‘all 29 teams’ in the NBA will be watching

Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on the move.

After being at the centre of trade rumours in the offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar’s future is in the headlines again after a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.

In it, Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis have started conversations with the Bucks about his future and that a resolution is expected in the coming weeks.

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That resolution will ultimately determine whether Antetokounmpo will be made available ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.

Should Antetokounmpo be traded, it will end a 13-year career in Milwaukee for the two-time MVP, who in 2021 took the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971.

Since then, Antetokounmpo has continued to play at an MVP-calibre level and is averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists this season for a Bucks team that sits 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 9-13 record.

Their latest loss, 129-126 at the hands of the struggling Washington Wizards, only further exposed just how far away Milwaukee is from contending for a title despite doing all it could in the summer to try convince Antetokounmpo it could still remain competitive.

Namely, the Bucks stretched and waived guard Damian Lillard in order to add Myles Turner through free agency, but still it has largely been on Antetokounmpo to will the Bucks to victory.

With injuries already restricting Antetokounmpo’s availability, the Bucks as currently constructed simply have not been able to stay afloat when the two-time MVP has not been healthy.

Antetokounmpo has been vocal about wanting to win another championship and with that looking increasingly unlikely in Milwaukee, his future may lie elsewhere.

“There’s been a lot of frustration within that Bucks organisation over the losing and also a sense of tension around the locker room about what this means for Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Charania reported on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.

“I had one source even tell me and describe the situation as the writing on the wall for what’s to come with Giannis Antetokounmpo?

“He was sold potentially on a championship vision by Jon Horst and Doc Rivers. (He) returned (and) recommitted to this team but this is a situation where this Bucks organisation could be faced with serious consequences depending on how the season continues to play out.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future is up in the air. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

The Bucks, who have lost eight of their last nine games, will struggle to turn around their poor form anytime soon with the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons up twice in their next three games along with the improving 76ers and Celtics.

It is not as if they have much draft capital to throw around either in a bid to improve the roster, as ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks explained.

“They’re running out of options,” Marks said on ‘NBA Today’.

“I think once we get to December 15th, most of their roster are eligible to be traded. So, you’re looking a combination of Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis get you something out in the marketplace here. Two players that make a combined $37 million.

“Remember, they’ve got one first-round pick to move in a deal, one, in either 2031 or 2032. This is a roster that is top-heavy in contracts, unless you’re going to move off Myles Turner, who’s trade eligible starting on December 15th, so I’m purely looking at it from Milwaukee’s perspective. There’s not much left there to go out and move.”

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As for where Antetokounmpo could end up, he was linked with a potential move to the Knicks in the summer.

On Thursday, senior NBA insider Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland before the news of Charania’s report that Antetokounmpo requested a trade in the offseason.

That is more concrete than the language Charania was using in May when he first reported that Antetokounmpo was “open-minded” about the possibility of playing outside of Milwaukee.

Either way, it seems like Milwaukee’s slow start to the season has only pushed the two-time MVP further towards the exit but if Antetokounmpo does request a trade, Windhorst reported on Thursday that he will be the one dictating terms.

“It’ll be Giannis instructing the Bucks where he wants to be traded and then the Bucks trying to make the best possible deal with that team,” Windhorst said on ‘NBA Today’.

Although, Charania later reported that if Antetokounmpo became available trade interest would go “well beyond the Knicks” while Marks understandably predicted “all 29 teams” in the NBA would show interest.

The Knicks are still the overwhelming favourites to land Antetokounmpo via trade, but Windhorst went on to point out that it isn’t necessarily that straight-forward anymore.

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“What it’s going to come down to is whether Giannis instructs the Bucks to re-engage the Knicks or not, or if he moves into the direction where he wants a trade, would he widen that list?” Windhorst said.

“The thing is, the Knicks were not in the best position to trade for Giannis in August because they had just extended Mikal Bridges and he wasn’t able to be traded. It was a strange time that Giannis would approach the Bucks about that situation.

“It would be different after December 15th, when more players are available to be traded, the Knicks really believe in this roster.

“When they engaged in those talks, they thought this team could potentially win the Eastern Conference and challenge the Western Conference champion, whether it’s the Thunder or whomever.

“I’m not sure the Knicks are on the same page. I’m sure when this news reaches the Knicks, the Knicks internally are going to have to have discussions about what they offered in the summer and whether they’re going to be willing to change their offer if the phone rings again coming from Milwaukee.

“And if you are a couple of other teams that you may think would have interest in Giannis, you’re having meetings in the next 12 to 24 hours to figure out what your offer might be if Giannis says he would be interested in your team.”