How the Chicago Bulls Could Crash the Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes

If the Chicago Bulls aren't on hold and listening to a repetitive saxophone solo right now, they might already be behind the 8-ball.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo saga reached a new climax on Tuesday morning with ESPN's latest report. Shams Charania shared that the Bucks superstar is "ready for a new home," and a handful of teams have already started to make aggressive offers in the lead-up to next week's trade deadline.

"Multiple teams have received a sense that the Bucks are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline, league sources said. However, Milwaukee has indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to complete a move and is willing to navigate Antetokounmpo's future in the offseason if its believed price point of a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks isn't met, sources said."

Milwaukee's willingness to wait until the offseason is undoubtedly noteworthy. They will have a much better idea of the draft landscape at that time, as well as arguably an even larger pool of teams to work with as flexibility increases across the league. However, there is nothing quite like the pressure of the NBA trade deadline, and Antetokounmpo is certainly the kind of player teams will hope to land sooner rather than later.

So ... might the Chicago Bulls be one of those teams?

What the Chicago Bulls Could Offer in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks — Dec 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) goes up for a dunk against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Of course, this is not the first time Chicago Bulls On SI has discussed Giannis Antetokounmpo this season. We most notably addressed a report from Fox 32 Chicago in early December that stated the Bulls had no interest in pursuing the Greek Freak, despite his apparent interest in a move down I-94.

To absolutely no surprise, that news made fans across the Chicagoland area faint (not really ... but maybe). The Bulls feel like the precise kind of middling franchise that should jump at the opportunity to land a true superstar. This is especially true after recent rumors suggested a possible change in trade deadline philosophy. Instead of the sell-off many expected, there are now reports that imply the Bulls could look to bolster their roster for a playoff run. All things considered, this would coincide a lot more with the stubborn approach we have seen this front office take in recent years.

Even if these recent reports connect the Bulls to players that lean on the younger side, Antetokounmpo still feels like the kind of all-time talent you inquire about. He would instantly make the Bulls more likely to achieve their goal of consistently competing in the postseason. And that is, ultimately, why it's hard not to imagine the front office at least re-thinking what it could take to get a deal done.

Charania specifically notes a blue-chip youngster and a surplus of draft picks as the expected haul. The good news for the Bulls is that they can surely offer the latter. They are one of the few teams that have full control over all their future first-round picks. This means they can fork over up to five unprotected first-rounders (they have seven total, but the Stepien Rule denies a team from trading picks in back-to-back drafts). In addition, they have a Portland Trail Blazers lottery-protected first-rounder (available until 2028) that is closer than ever before to conveying, as well as five future second-round picks.

All Chicago Bulls Draft Picks:

2026 first-rounder – OWN
2026 lottery protected first-rounder – POR
2027 first-rounder – OWN
2028 first-rounder – OWN
2028 second-rounder – OWN
2029 first-rounder – OWN
2029 second-rounder – OWN
2030 first-rounder – OWN
2030 sound-rounder – OWN
2031 first-rounder – OWN
2031 second-rounder – OWN
2032 first-rounder – OWN
2032 second-rounder – OWN

Do Bulls picks become slightly less valuable the moment they acquire a player of Antetokounmpo's caliber? Sure, but the Bucks would surely ask for the latest picks possible as Antetokounmpo heads deeper into his 30s. If we're being brutally honest, there are also far worse picks to own than Chicago's, who have shown time and again the inability to remain outside the lottery. Conversely, if you are the Bulls and never plan to tank, eventually cashing in on some of these picks makes the most sense.

The real question when it comes to potentially joining the Giannis sweepstakes revolves around the "blue-chipper." Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis represent the closest thing the Bulls have to a young star. Would either move the needle for the Bucks? Would trading either make sense for a Bulls team attempting to immediately build a winner around Antetokounmpo?

Buzelis would presumably be the one the Bulls have to move. He continues to possess the highest upside and remains on a very team-friendly rookie contract. Plus, keeping a primary ball-handler to pair with Antetokounmpo makes the most sense from a roster standpoint.

Nevertheless, if the Bucks were suddenly very interested in Giddey, is that enough of a reason for the Bulls to pause? Karnisovas could pivot to keeping Coby White and/or Ayo Dosunmu around come free agency. Both would certainly have a greater incentive to stay with Antetokounmpo on the roster.

This is where opposing teams will likely outdo the Bulls, though. Atlanta has someone like Jalen Johnson, the Spurs have Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Houston has Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. Miami has a Milwaukee native in Tyler Herro. The Bulls could have trouble competing if that caliber of talent is made available, particularly when we consider the Bucks have little incentive to undergo a full-scale rebuild. While they may have six first-rounders available, rival teams have the ability swap their next three.

With that in mind, draft capital has always felt like the best way for the Bulls to throw their hat in the ring. We even centered our trade idea in December around four unprotected first. If the Bulls really wanted to go all-in, however, they could up the ante with the Portland pick or throw in a swap or two. This might depend solely on how highly the Bucks view a player like Buzelis.

To be sure, when you do reach this level of outgoing capital, it is worth debating whether shaking hands is even worth it. Once again, the whole point of adding Antetokounmpo is to build a championship-caliber team around him. Whether the Bulls can do that with so little left in their arsenal is a fair question.

If anything, it does serve as another reminder of why going in the opposite direction continues to make so much sense for this franchise. The more pieces that can be sold at this trade deadline for future assets, the more well-prepared the Bulls will be for the next disgruntled superstar that becomes available (... or for a run at Giannis this summer). It never hurts to think ahead.