4 best Giannis trades Bucks must consider after NBA Investigation

The relationship between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks franchise is growing worse and worse by the day, so it seems, with Antetokounmpo making cryptic remarks all across the media amid the Bucks’ decision to hold him out of action.

Antetokounmpo is asserting that he’s healthy enough to play, and the Bucks think otherwise; this decision from the latter may be stemming from the fact that Milwaukee is out of playoff contention anyway and they won’t be receiving any tangible benefits from letting Antetokounmpo play.

In fact, considering how injury-ravaged Antetokounmpo’s 2025-26 campaign has been, one would think that the Bucks are entirely justified in their decision to hold Antetokounmpo out of play. It has gotten to the point where the Bucks have now drawn the attention of the NBA — with the league looking into its player participation policy and whether or not Milwaukee has been adhering to it.

All of that is pointing to an eventual divorce between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Many thought he’d finally be traded away prior to this year’s trade deadline, but the Bucks couldn’t find a suitable trade partner and decided to simply hold on to the greatest player in the history of the franchise.

This may be for the best, as taking trade talks into the offseason gives them more flexibility with regards to which team to trade Antetokounmpo to. They were limited prior to the trade deadline, but come offseason time, with a few contracts coming off teams’ books, fitting Antetokounmpo in becomes much easier.

There’s also the factor of playoff performance; teams that fall short of their postseason goals may end up being more desperate in their pursuit of a game-changer like Antetokounmpo.

With that said, here are a few realistic trades the Bucks must pursue as Antetokounmpo’s time with the team nears its end.

Warriors finally get their man

Bucks acquire: Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, 2027 GSW first-round pick, 2029 GSW first-round pick, 2031 GSW first-round pick, 2028, 2030, and 2032 GSW first-round pick swaps

Warriors acquire: Giannis Antetokounmpo

It’s been clear for a minute that the Warriors are headed for a rebuild quite soon. Stephen Curry is still one of the biggest stars in the NBA when healthy, but no one is going to be surprised if health is going to be a huge issue for him moving forward considering that he’s already 38 years of age.

This season has shown that the Warriors need not just Curry to compete in the loaded West, but also a reliable co-star who can fill in the many defensive and playmaking gaps the team has around the two-time MVP.

Butler filled that role for the Warriors. He relished doing the dirty work, was more than content to defer to Curry and be more of a playmaker and defender, and he could scale up his contributions to being a viable first option if it was necessary for him to do so.

Butler’s torn ACL has essentially ended the Warriors’ contending hopes, requiring a miracle for them to turn things around. The good news is that there may very well be a miracle coming in the form of Antetokounmpo.

Butler and Antetokounmpo’s salaries match perfectly, so that is not going to be an issue whatsoever for either team. The Bucks, however, have to be salivating over the Warriors’ future first-round picks.

The Dubs are nearing the end of their contending rope, and while Antetokounmpo’s arrival would breathe new life into the team, Curry being this close to turning 40 means that their time as a contender is limited enough as it is.

This makes it very unlikely that the Dubs throw caution to the wind and risk it all just to bring Antetokounmpo in. But the Bucks have to try and pursue this trade, as this would allow them to hit the reset button with something to look forward to, especially when they owe all of their future firsts to other teams until 2030.

Heat Culture reaps its reward

Bucks acquire: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, 2028 MIA first-round pick, 2030 MIA first-round pick, 2032 MIA first-round pick, 2029 and 2031 MIA first-round pick swaps

Heat acquire: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Heat are always in the business of star-hunting, and there may not be a bigger star available for trade this offseason than Antetokounmpo. The Bucks are always going to be asking for Bam Adebayo in any Antetokounmpo trade, but Adebayo is looking like a Heat lifer barring a huge shift in his contentment level with the team.

Moreover, Antetokounmpo is going to need great teammates to be able to compete after a trade to Miami, and having Adebayo around helps that cause immensely.

To that end, the Bucks have to focus on squeezing the Heat’s draft assets dry; Miami has all their tradeable first-round picks from 2028 to 2033, so that should help a lot in greasing the wheels in any potential negotiations.

With the acquisition of Adebayo out of the picture, getting Kel’el Ware, who’s been in Erik Spoelstra’s doghouse anyway, could also be a huge coup for Milwaukee. Myles Turner has been a disastrous acquisition anyway, and having Ware to grow alongside the likes of Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. could sound enticing for Milwaukee.

Herro should be a trade asset for the Bucks, and getting five total first-round picks (three unprotected, two swaps), plus a bright young star in Ware and a tradeable contract in Jovic, is not the worst idea in the world. There is a chance that Antetokounmpo forces his way to Miami, and this could be a good starting point in trade talks.

Rockets just go all out

Bucks acquire: Alperen Sengun, Dorian Finney-Smith, 2027 PHX first-round pick, 2028 HOU first-round pick, 2o30 HOU first-round pick

Rockets acquire: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The possibility of this coming to fruition is dependent on whether or not the Rockets fall short in the playoffs. And even then, the Rockets will find it difficult to sell trading away another member of their young core after sending Jalen Green away in a deal for Kevin Durant last year.

But if the Rockets fall short in the playoffs, there is a possibility of another roster overhaul in Houston. Sengun has major shortcomings on the defensive end, so he could end up being the scapegoat if the Rockets fall  short in the playoffs yet again.

The Rockets have been rumored as a potential Antetokounmpo trade destination in the past, so perhaps they revisit the idea of bringing him in should things go sideways for them in the playoffs yet again.

Sengun is a two-time All-Star, and Antetokounmpo is in the final year of his deal. It’s hard to top getting a player of Sengun’s caliber for someone who’s had a wandering eye lately. Add in the fact that the Rockets will be adding three first-round picks in this hypothetical, then it’s hard to argue against this potential trade.

Absorbing Dorian Finney-Smith’s contract when he’s looked washed up all season long is not going to be very appealing for the Bucks. But rehabbing his value could be worthwhile, as any contending team would want an experienced 3-and-D player like him for as long as he’s contributing on the hardwood.

Timberwolves finally get Giannis deal with Bucks over the line

Bucks acquire: Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, 2032 MIN first-round pick, 2028, 2033 MIN first-round pick swap

Timberwolves acquire: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Timberwolves were one of the teams in hot pursuit of Antetokounmpo prior to the trade deadline, and some thought that it was nearly a done deal. In the end, of course, Antetokounmpo remained with the Bucks, which meant that another pursuit of Giannis must take place in the offseason for Minnesota.

This offer is very light on future firsts, which means that the Bucks must have other deals lined up for the three players they’ll be acquiring if they want to cash in on some draft capital. The good news is that those three players should have plenty of suitors on the market, so Milwaukee should not have that difficult of a time to stock up on future firsts.

Any trade with the Timberwolves, for convenience, has to involve other teams just so they could streamline the process of acquiring draft capital. The Bucks don’t own their future firsts, and a team with those three Timberwolves players is much-improved from the one they’re fielding now, but none of those players profile as first options on a contending team anyway.

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