After months of rampant speculation, it appears that we will soon learn where Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will play. Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam recently stated that he hopes to have the Giannis situation settled by next month's NBA draft.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not contract extension-eligible until October … but Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam said today after Taylor Jenkins’ introductory news conference that the team wants to resolve Giannis’ Milwaukee future before next month’s NBA Draft. https://t.co/HDc0Tb6A2T
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 6, 2026
That would seemingly put a time table on a potential trade involving Milwaukee's best player. It would be a surprisingly quick turnaround for a Giannis trade considering the NBA season doesn't officially end until June 20th at the latest.
Of course, eliminated teams can make trades. Even so, Milwaukee not waiting for the draft or even free agency dramatically limits the potential trade return of their best player.
The Bucks would be foolish to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo so soon
Despite Haslan wanting to have a fresh start, putting a timetable on trading arguably the best player in franchise history makes no sense. Blockbuster trades can drag on for months, and Milwaukee should be in no rush to trade him.
Instead, teams that are currently in the NBA playoffs such as the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs all could have interest in trading for him. However, they may not have much time given their seasons are far from over.
At the very least, wait until the NBA Draft. There, they can potentially trade Giannis in a deal for a lottery pick.
The Milwaukee Bucks must trade Giannis but not before a bidding war
The whole point of not trading Giannis during the season was to give the Bucks more options this summer. The goal is for them to create a bidding war for Giannis and reap the benefits.
After all, given how many assets were given away trying to build around him, this is their best chance to set themselves up for a rebuild post-Giannis. If they fail to do so, they could set their franchise back for years to come.
That's why they shouldn't rush the process. Therefore, trading him for the June 25th NBA draft would be a mistake and something the Bucks should avoid at all costs.
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