Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return in Friday night’s NBA Cup matchup against the New York Knicks. It was his first appearance since Nov. 17 after battling a left adductor strain that sidelined him for four games.
Bucks Have Dropped Seven Straight Games
In Milwaukee’s 118-109 loss to the Knicks, the nine-time All-Star forward finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists on a minutes restriction that limited him to only 28 minutes.
The Bucks (8-12) are on a seven-game losing streak, having lost two games with Antetokounmpo before his absence, four straight games without the two-time NBA MVP, and now a close game in New York.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: “We had the opportunity to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going & being able to gamble on 34 red one more time is going to be very tough for me. At the end of the day, I want to win. We’ve lost 7 in a row. I don’t remember the last time I lost 7 in a row.” pic.twitter.com/nrDPlajKtm
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 29, 2025
The Bucks, last year’s NBA Cup champions, also failed to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in the three-year history of the NBA’s in-season tournament.
“Does it matter what I’ve seen [when I was sidelined with the injury]? It doesn’t matter — it happened,” Antetokounmpo said, when asked about the Bucks’ struggles while he was out for the last four games. “We’ve lost the games. We’ve lost, what, six in a row? Seven in a row?”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Want Out
Amid Milwaukee’s skid, an old offseason story is circulating once more across social media.
During Bucks media day in September, Antetokounmpo reiterated his desire to win a second NBA title and confirmed reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania that he was “open-minded” over the summer about exploring whether his “best long-term fit” was in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
“The same thing I’ve been saying my whole career, I want to be in a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” said Antetokounmpo. “I think it’s a disservice to basketball, just to the game, to not want it to compete in a high level, to want your season to end in April.”
“Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear privately that the New York Knicks were the only team that he wanted a potential trade to..
The Bucks have made it clear that they want to give it another shot with Giannis” ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/11p50jQmDK
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 9, 2025
In 2021, the Bucks clinched their second NBA title and first since 1971.
However, Milwaukee has since been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. The 30-year-old Antetokounmpo also hasn’t played in a second-round series since 2022.
“It’s not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year,” Antetokounmpo said. “I had the same thoughts two years ago. And I had the same thoughts five years ago. It is never going to change. I want to be among the best. I want to compete with the best, and I want to win another championship.”
Antetokounmpo Should Demand Trade
Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 13-year NBA career with the Bucks, but change could soon be on the horizon. If the Greek Freak is serious about winning another title, he may have to leave Milwaukee to make it happen.
Per 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.
This means requesting a trade could be his ticket out of the Badger State.
Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 in December, had been linked to several marquee franchises during the offseason, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and the Knicks.
A Lakers squad that features Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Antetokounmpo would make for must-see TV. But would such a blockbuster trade result in the Purple and Gold winning another title? There’s only one way to find out.
