NBA Insider Concerned for Bucks About Giannis Antetokounmpo Requesting Trade

How worried should Milwaukee Bucks fans be that nine-time All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could vamoose and leave town?

Bucks general manager Jon Horst got creative this summer with his team-building, stretching and waiving injured All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to create cap room for 3-and-D ex-Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. He also brought in some backcourt help with former Orlando Magic guards Cole Anthony and Gary Harris.

None of these players have the All-Star upside that even an old Lillard did, but with Lillard out for probably all of 2025-26 with an Achilles tear and Antetokounmpo looking to not throw away another season, Horst was clearly operating out of desperation.

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It's not enough. But perhaps there are more moves to be made? Otherwise, it seems quite possible Antetokounmpo could demand a trade out of Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Fate in Doubt

For now Zach Harper of The Athletic ranks his own "concern-o-meter" about Antetokounmpo's future as a 7-of-10.

Not a ton of massive moves were made during this NBA offseason.

Here are 10 potential red flags that popped up this summer, and how much concern there should be for each situation. pic.twitter.com/blHq3J5UKi
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 12, 2025

"Maybe they’ve been quieted momentarily, but the questions this offseason following the Lillard injury haven’t been answered. The state of the Eastern Conference makes this more palatable and a Disney movie-style triumph seem more possible," Harper writes. "Surround Giannis with defense and outside shooting. Make the games ugly. Rely on Giannis to be a superhero. To quote that kid in 'Angels in the Outfield,' it could happen, though I don’t know if anybody should bet on it happening."

Harper is spot-on here. The current Bucks may have improved their frontcourt by subbing in the far more mobile and athletic Turner for an aging Lopez (maybe Lopez has a man-to-man edge, but Turner is far more switchable), but they've lost significant backcourt creativity with the Lillard injury.

Still, Cole Anthony should help with some scoring and passing issues. Gary Harris hasn't looked like himself for the past few years, which explains why he was available on a minimum. It's unclear how much Harris will be able to contribute at this phase of his career.

"In my opinion (no reporting here), the biggest thing holding hope for Giannis staying in Milwaukee is that I don’t fully believe he’s willing to embrace the potential PR hit of bailing," Harper notes. "I don’t even necessarily think this is a marketing thing or about selling shoes or avoiding his jersey being burned on social media for clout (if people are still doing that)."

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Will Jon Horst look to add more guard help, especially on defense? Will he seek a Kyle Kuzma upgrade along the wing? Horst may need to include the team's one movable first-round pick, in 2032, to add a bit more help if he truly aspires to contend.

"I think Giannis likes being universally liked and genuinely loves being in Milwaukee, and that’s a tough pill to risk swallowing in many facets," Harper adds. "But his competitive drive might eventually override that if they can’t get him any closer to another title than the first round."

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