The Milwaukee Bucks aren't trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, barring anything drastic happening. However, some believe there's still a chance that Antetokounmpo could request to be traded at some point in the offseason.
It's very unlikely for a few reasons, but insiders have suggested otherwise, despite his many times saying he doesn’t want to leave.
If he has to continue proving that he's loyal to the organization for everybody to stop, that's what he appears to be doing.
Despite that, The Athletic doesn't think it's out of the equation for him to potentially be traded. They recently took a look at Fred VanVleet's contract with the Houston Rockets, as he’s set to hit the free agency market. He has a team option for 2025-26, and the Rockets could get creative with it in a deal for Antetokounmpo.
“But there are many paths to get there. One of them is to have VanVleet opt in to the $44 million but agree to a multi-year extension at a lower number; he would not be able to sign the extension until July, but the team and player could agree on terms before picking up the option.
“Tacking on two (or even three) years in the $28 million range could help the Rockets navigate a stretch where they are likely to become much more expensive; notably for the Giannis Antetokounmpo watchers out there, VanVleet’s contract would be immediately tradeable in this example,” they wrote.
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While they could look to do something with VanVleet to try to get Antetokounmpo in return, the Bucks have absolutely no reason to take on that big of a contract for an average point guard.
Perhaps the Bucks could be involved in a bigger deal, as they’d be looking for a trade that's never been seen before in the NBA.
That would likely require at least multiple teams to be involved, given that one of the best players in NBA history would be involved.