Keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo After Trade Deadline Pushes Bucks in Power Rankings

Where is Milwaukee in the power rankings after opting to keep the Greek Freak?

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during warmups prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks look like the biggest trolls after the NBA trade deadline by keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster.

While there were definitely some discussions about Antetokounmpo's future with the team, it's very clear that the Bucks were not truly interested in making that trade at this time. This prompted NBA.com writer John Schuhmann to place the Bucks at No. 23 in his latest power rankings, which is two spots higher than the previous week.

"The trade deadline has come and gone, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a member of the Bucks. They will certainly do their best to keep him around in the offseason," Schuhmann wrote.

"After beating the Bulls, Pelicans and Pacers at home, the Bucks will hit the road and take a step up in competition. The only Eastern Conference team they’ve yet to face is the Magic, and they’ll play two games in Orlando before visiting the Thunder on Thursday."

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before game against the Indiana Pacers. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Bucks Moving Up in Power Rankings

The Bucks only have the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings behind them in the power rankings for this week.

With the Bucks winning three straight games, their offense has seen improvement, even though Antetokounmpo is still dealing with a calf injury.

"Before Tuesday, the Bucks were 3-14 without Antetokounmpo, who’s now missed six straight games. But they’ve suddenly won three straight for the first time this season, keeping themselves in the Play-In race in the Eastern Conference. The opponents – Chicago, New Orleans and Indiana – haven’t been good, but it’s certainly progress. It’s been their best three-game stretch of offense (126.5 points scored per 100 possessions) all season," Schuhmann wrote.

"The team’s 3-point shooting has still been better (41.8%) with Antetokounmpo on the floor, and he still ranks second with 3.9 assists on 3-pointers per game (the second-highest mark of his career). But the Bucks have shot 57-for-128 (44.5%) from beyond the arc over the winning streak. AJ Green is 15-for-33 (45.5%) over the three games and is one of four players – Kevin Durant, Isaiah Joe and Luke Kennard are the others – who’ve shot 40% or better on at least 100 3-point attempts in each of the last four seasons."

The Bucks are back in action against the Orlando Magic at 6:30 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on Peacock.