The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly aren’t pursuing Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, per NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
Spurs, Rockets, Thunder Avoiding Big Trades
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, are having conversations with the Bucks about the nine-time All-Star’s future.
Charania noted that Antetokounmpo and Saratsis are “discussing whether his best fit is staying or a move elsewhere. … A resolution to these talks is expected in the coming weeks.”
If the Bucks decide to make Antetokounmpo available for a potential trade, the Spurs (18-7), Rockets (16-6), and Thunder (24-2) will not be among the teams presenting offers to Milwaukee for the future Hall of Famer.
“There is a growing belief among trade-trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo even if the Bucks ultimately do decide to consider in-season proposals for their two-time MVP. All three of those teams, as you can imagine, like what they have going,” Stein wrote.
Dating back to the offseason, Antetokounmpo has been linked to teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks, who the Greek Freak was interested in playing for.
Per Charania, the Knicks were given “an exclusive negotiating window” over the course of “a multi-week period in August,” but no trade deal was reached with the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Remains Sidelined
The Bucks (11-16) are coming off one of their worst losses in franchise history: a 127-82 drubbing to a tanking Brooklyn Nets (7-18) squad Sunday.
Brooklyn led 65-46 at halftime on 56.5% shooting, and went on a 24-11 run in the third quarter to make it 94-65. The Nets then outscored Milwaukee 28-11 in the final frame.
Milwaukee has dropped three of its last four games since Antetokounmpo strained his right calf in the opening minutes of a win over the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 3.
Through 17 appearances (all starts) this season, Antetokounmpo has averaged 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 29.1 minutes per game while shooting a career-best 63.9% from the field and 63.5% from the foul line.
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.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Bucks star will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through the 2030-31 season, starting on Oct. 1, 2026.
If moved, he’d be able to sign the same deal with another team six months after a trade.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5.
