Groups have routinely known as to verify on Antetokounmpo’s potential availability in recent times, and that course of is anticipated to accentuate as they collect in Chicago this week for the draft mix, Charania provides.
Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, will meet with Bucks officers sooner or later to debate the crew’s future and decide whether or not Milwaukee remains to be the perfect match for his or her consumer, in response to Charania’s sources.
The Bucks are reportedly resistant towards the concept of buying and selling Antetokounmpo, who remains to be below contract by the 2026-27 season and holds a $62.8M participant possibility for the next yr, and are unlikely to pursue a deal except he requests it.
Speculation a few attainable Antetokounmpo commerce has been rampant because the Bucks have been eradicated by the Pacers final month, marking the third straight yr they’ve been ousted within the first spherical. Antetokounmpo has been open about his need so as to add one other championship to the one he captured in 2021, and there are doubts concerning whether or not he nonetheless has any hope of reaching that in Milwaukee.
The state of affairs turned extra dire with the torn left Achilles that Damian Lillard suffered in Sport 4 of the Indiana sequence. Lillard underwent surgery final week and faces a prolonged rehab course of that would pressure him to overlook all of subsequent season. That would depart the Bucks with no second star to crew with Antetokounmpo and little likelihood to accumulate one as Lillard stays on the books for $54.1M subsequent season with a $58.5M participant possibility for 2026-27.
Charania notes that Antetokounmpo, a finalist for MVP honors, simply accomplished top-of-the-line seasons of his profession, averaging 30.4 factors, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 video games whereas capturing 60.1 p.c from the sphere. He raised these numbers within the playoffs, posting 33 factors, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per evening within the five-game loss.
Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of many biggest gamers in Bucks historical past since being chosen with the fifteenth decide within the 2013 draft. He’s a two-time MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he delivered the crew’s first NBA title in 50 years.
In line with Charania, Milwaukee’s .663 profitable share since 2018-19 is the perfect within the league. Nonetheless, the Bucks solely have one playoff sequence victory since their 2021 championship season.
If Antetokounmpo goes in the marketplace, groups that may provide younger expertise and a stockpile of draft belongings are thought-about to be the most probably locations. The Rockets, Thunder and Nets have already been talked about prominently in commerce hypothesis, however Milwaukee’s entrance workplace would seemingly hear affords from all 29 rival groups.
Charania notes that the Bucks have a possibility to remake their roster this summer time, with Kyle Kuzma, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith becoming a member of Antetokounmpo and Lillard as the one gamers at the moment below contract. Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. maintain participant choices for subsequent season, and so they may determine to affix Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. as free brokers.
Nonetheless, the Bucks are already dealing with cap considerations as Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will earn roughly $130M of the $164M they have already got dedicated for 2025-26. Common supervisor Jon Horst has restricted draft belongings to supply in any commerce, with the franchise not controlling any of its first-round picks till 2031.
Charania notes that the Bucks have been capable of escape the second apron with the Kuzma commerce in February, however they nonetheless have restricted respiration room heading into the summer time. They’re at the moment about $23M beneath the posh tax and $41M away from a return to the second apron. Charania factors out that even a modest offseason that features re-signing Lopez, utilizing the $14.1M non-taxpayer midlevel exception and filling out the roster with minimum-salary signees would put Milwaukee into tax territory for the sixth straight yr.
