With four minutes and 44 seconds remaining in the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo checked out to a smattering of applause from a half-empty arena. The series wasn't over, but considering the circumstances, it was hard not to wonder if that was the last time he would wear a Bucks jersey at Fiserv Forum.
Sure enough, the Bucks were eliminated a few nights later in Game 5, though not in the manner that anyone expected. After putting up 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists in a losing effort without Damian Lillard, Antetokounmpo declined to discuss his future during his postgame press conference.
"I'm not gonna do this," Antetokounmpo said. "Whatever I say, I know it's going to translate. I don't know, man. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back to Milwaukee."
The days following the Bucks' defeat, and their third consecutive first-round exit, have been filled with tens of thousands of words, spoken and written, about where Antetokounmpo will play next season. Nearly all of them have assumed that it will not be in Milwaukee.
Such chatter is understandable. Throughout his career, Antetokounmpo has been obsessed with winning. It was only a few weeks ago, before the start of the playoffs, that he said the following on the "Thanalysis Show," his brother Thanasis' podcast:
"Me not having a second championship -- I look back at my career and everybody can say, 'Oh, incredible career, active Hall of Famer, first ballot, whatever, but me, my personal goal, if I am not able to help my team win a second ring, I'm letting down myself," Giannis said.
In 2021, Antetokounmpo brought the Bucks their first championship in 50 years. Since then, the team has won just one playoff series, due in large part to injuries, and has slipped further away from title contention with each passing season. That trend will continue with Lillard set to miss the majority, if not all, of next season with a torn Achilles tendon.
The Bucks are not going to compete for a championship in 2026, and it's unclear when they'll do so again, even if Antetokounmpo remains. They have no notable young players, don't have control of their own first-round draft pick until 2031 and a large part of their supporting cast, including Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis (player option), Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince, are all free agents. Their one avenue for a major reset this summer may have been trading Lillard, but that appears to be off the table due to his injury.
There are myriad reasons for Antetokounmpo to leave, but the situation isn't as cut-and-dry as it may seem.
ESPN's Jamal Collier reported on April 30 that sources have indicated Antetokounmpo remains happy in Milwaukee and was pleased with the progress he and Lillard made this season. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who recently gave long-time general manager Jon Horst an extension, are set to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the season and where to go from here.
Ahead of those talks, it's important to note that the Bucks have no incentive to trade Antetokounmpo, who is under contract through the 2026-27 season, and has a player option for 2027-28. He's the most meaningful player in franchise history, and once he's gone they're likely never getting someone as good as him again. And, to reiterate, they don't control their own pick until 2031, so tanking does them no good.
Should Antetokounmpo request a trade, the Bucks will likely honor that request, but they won't be pushing him out the door. The question, then, is whether Antetokounmpo will be willing to force the issue.
During All-Star Weekend, Antetokounmpo was asked about the Luka Dončić trade on Greek television, and gave an emphatic answer on his own future.
"I don't think that I would ever text (and ask for a trade), I am not this kind of guy," Antetokounmpo said, as translated by Eurohoops.net. "They would have to kick me out".
If there's one thing Antetokounmpo values on the same level as winning, it's loyalty. Plenty of players talk about the concept, but few sound as genuine as Antetokounmpo. After signing a three-year extension in October of 2023, he explained in great detail why the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee mean so much to him:
"For me, one of my, I don't know, disadvantages, I'll say, is that I'm very loyal. Even though you might hurt me or do something to me, I always try to forgive you and see the best in you. If you were there for me in the beginning, I'm there for you for the rest of our lifetime.
"For the Milwaukee Bucks organization, they've been there with me since the beginning. They changed my life, they changed my family's life. My kids were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That's what their passport says. My mom is here enjoying her life. My dad spent a couple years here before he passed away. My brothers went to school here -- private school that before I came here I was not able to afford in my lifetime. My kids are going to a private school. They've changed my life tremendously.
"I'm extremely happy. I know the ins and outs of the city. The city shows me a lot of love and also whenever I go out there and have time with my family, they also give me space, which is crazy to me. When they see me on the street, they give me space. They respect who I am as a person and what I've done for the city of Milwaukee. And for that, I can't turn my back. Not now, not in the future, not never. And I want to be committed. I want to give back to the city of Milwaukee.
"We won one championship, but I believe that we can win a second. I'm going to try my best, I'm going to do what I always do, which is try to have fun while playing the game and I hope I can create another parade in the near future that 600,000 people, the whole of Milwaukee can be out there celebrating, no matter the color of your skin -- white, Black, everybody was out there celebrating something that happened after 50 years. For me, I cannot take that lightly and I hope that we can do that again."
The circumstances have changed tremendously since Antetokounmpo made those comments nearly two years ago. Even he, with all his bravado and confidence, would have to admit that there won't be any parades winding down Wisconsin Avenue any time soon. If he wants to compete for a title in the coming years, he'll need to go elsewhere.
In a vacuum, the decision may seem simple. But Antetokounmpo is not a typical superstar, and this is not a typical situation. Antetokounmpo has spent his entire career, and nearly half of his life playing for the Bucks. He arrived when he was 18, still learning how to speak English, and has grown up with the organization, literally -- former GM John Hammond helped teach him how to drive --- and figuratively.
At some point in the coming weeks, Antetokounmpo may come to the conclusion that it's time for him to leave. If he does, no one would blame him. But don't be surprised if he chooses to stay. Leaving the city where you've spent your entire professional life is not easy, even for an NBA superstar.
