Regardless of whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded before the Feb. 5 deadline, the two-time NBA MVP may have already played his final game with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Suit Up Again?
ESPN’s Marc Spears said during Monday’s edition of NBA Today that he believes Antetokounmpo is done with the Bucks amid a right calf injury and Milwaukee’s disappointing 18-26 record.
“I think he’s played his last game in a Bucks uniform,” Spears said. “I mean, cause there’s so much benefit for him not playing. One, you could make a trade for him now with Atlanta and get that generational piece, the No. 1 pick or No. 2 pick. If you play him, and you win, that just pushes that potential pick back further.”
Marc Spears on Giannis: "I think he's played his last game in a Bucks uniform" pic.twitter.com/fU46fgObxr
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 26, 2026
It’s unclear whether Milwaukee will decide to trade Antetokounmpo before the deadline or over the summer. The Bucks made it clear in the past that they would only consider moving Giannis if he wanted out.
According to Spotrac, Antetokounmpo remains under contract through 2027-28, but he can become a free agent in the 2027 offseason if he declines his $62.8 million player option.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, starting on Oct. 1, 2026, Antetokounmpo will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through the 2030-31 season.
If moved, he’d be able to sign the same deal with another team six months after a trade.
Bucks Won’t Trade Giannis Until Draft Time?
NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sunday that “multiple teams continue to try to engage the Bucks on a Giannis deal that they would like to consummate before the Feb. 5 deadline.”
Antetokounmpo would have several suitors if he were to allow the Bucks to field offers for him.
However, Stein also added in his report that there is “still no clear-cut indication that the Bucks are willing to entertain the prospect of an Antetokounmpo deal before draft time in the spring.”
Stein’s report comes about a week after Antetokounmpo told reporters that he expects the right calf injury will sideline him for at least four to six weeks, but head coach Doc Rivers said “there’s no timetable” for his return.
In December, Antetokounmpo also missed three weeks due to a right soleus strain, the same injury that sidelined him for Milwaukee’s first-round series with the Indiana Pacers during the 2024 playoffs.
“This calf keeps coming up and it’s concerning,” Rivers said. “I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him and there’s something that is there. It keeps happening, and that’s troublesome for all of us.”
Rivers said the Bucks have given “no thought” about resting Giannis for the remainder of the season.
