In 2021, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA championship after defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games. It was also the franchise’s first title since 1971.
At the time, Antetokounmpo was only 26 years old and was already a two-time NBA MVP. The future was bright for him and the Bucks as they aimed to remain in the title picture. Despite having a lot of regular season success since, things have not gone as well as the Bucks had hoped.
Milwaukee has yet to return to the conference finals since their 2021 NBA Finals victory, and they have suffered a first-round playoff exit in each of the last three years. This has led many to wonder about what Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee may look like.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43).
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
While nothing is official yet, it seems that the possibility of the Bucks moving on from their longtime star this offseason is very real. It was reported on Monday by ESPN’s Shams Charania that, Antetokounmpo is “open-minded” for the first time in his NBA career about “exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee” or another team.
Furthermore, given the latest updates, Antetokounmpo’s status is one that Los Angeles Lakers fans may want to monitor.
According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, there is a possibility that the Lakers could pursue the Bucks star via a trade this offseason. However, Windhorst also mentions that the Lakers probably do not have the assets to outbid other teams for him, making an Antetokounmpo-to-LA deal unlikely unless he specifically wants it to happen.
“Could the Lakers make an offer? Yes. Could Giannis come in and say, ‘I am going nowhere but the Lakers’? Yes. And if that happens, that would increase it,” Windhorst said about a potential Antetokounmpo trade. “But I don’t think the Lakers or the Knicks could make an offer that’s in the top five or six. But because Giannis potentially has agency in this, then you would say that his words would matter a lot.”
Antetokounmpo’s future will be the main narrative of the upcoming offseason. He spent the first 12 years of his career in Milwaukee, but a change could be coming. Whether that change ends up with him in Los Angeles is something that will be worth following the rest of the way.