Wizards Considered a Fringe Contender For Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is, for the second time this season, set to miss extensive time away from his once-beloved Milwaukee Bucks. The on-court product has cratered even with the 2x MVP in the lineup, as the middling role players surrounding him look a long way off from the championship-contending rosters that he grew used to.

It's a long shot, but the Washington Wizards are gaining traction among those likeliest to pounce on the in-house friction.

He strained his calf last week, and just like he had in late 2025, his timetable isn't getting any more specific than a four-to-six week recovery time. This will sideline him through the All-Star break and, most importantly for league-wide narratives, the trade deadline, fueling many a theory about how this influences his future with the team that once drafted him all those years ago.

Marc Spears on Giannis: "I think he's played his last game in a Bucks uniform" pic.twitter.com/fU46fgObxr
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 26, 2026

Conversations surrounding his security with the Bucks will run rampant for the two weeks in between now and the trade deadline, as he's a big enough potential asset to swing the balance of the league, and all of the smaller trades everywhere else should he be flagged as available.

The Wizards aren't any more capable of winning this season's championship than the Bucks are, but they have a few key attributes that Milwaukee's missing. They have a clear, development-based direction, young players to fuel the ascendance and the space to take on a superstar.

"Washington has the $33.3 million expiring contract of Khris Middleton and a league-high nine players on rookie contracts, including Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly," ESPN'sBobby Marks wrote. "Washington will add a high lottery pick in 2026 and has five additional tradable first-rounders with 2028 and 2030 swap rights with Phoenix."

Should Antetokounmpo look to play the under-the-radar card, the overlooked Wizards would have what it takes to connect on such a swing.

Trae Young's Notice

The Wizards may occupy the worst record in the league, a position in the standings that's become all too familiar with some tired fans, but the cellar-dwelling has never seemed quite so strategic as it does now. Were it not for the loaded 2026 NBA Draft class ahead and the top-eight Wizards' pick that currently resides with the New York Knicks, these guys would likely be making their first Play-In Tournament push together.

Their recent Trae Young acquisition signaled as such, an indication that they're not far from looking like a competent squad. Three years of promising prospects, the soon-to-be-deployed Young and oodles of cap space make for an intriguing Antetokounmpo structure, a supporting cast that could reasonably grow into a functional contender together quicker than some around the league may be anticipating.

Washington Wizards Guard Trae Young — Jan 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Newly acquired Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (M) looks on from the bench with teammates against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Antetokounmpo's been known to work when surrounded by shooting in the past, providing him with an opportunity to realistically flourish in Washington. The young guards and wings continue growing into tertiary playmakers and scorers, while Sarr increasingly improves into the ideal shot-blocking stretch-five that the Bucks legend had with Brook Lopez for all those seasons.

This trade is, admittedly, an unlikely one. There's a reason why so many teams were listed above the Wizards in Marks' run-down; Antetokounmpo would be understood for any disinterest in any more waiting around for an immediately-competitive roster, and any move the Wizards make surrounding their overflowing treasure chest of assets will be a measured one.

But while Bucks ownership continues circling the league for the best potential packages and the most beneficial landing spot for their former Finals MVP, they'll keep coming back to the sleeping giant in D.C.

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