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Bucks Reportedly Taking Steps to Prepare For Giannis Antetokounmpo's Exit

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Matt Levine | Last updated May 19, 2025 1:03 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of questions to answer regarding the state of the roster for next season. But none are bigger than the status of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

More Bucks news: Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo Have Meeting Scheduled to Discuss Future

There has been a lot of speculation around the future of Antetokounmpo with the Bucks since the team was eliminated from postseason contention. Antetokounmpo has been looking around the league in consideration of leaving Milwaukee, but his departure remains to be seen.

Now, according to NBA insider Gery Woelfel, the Bucks are taking the next steps in the event that Antetokounmpo does want to leave the team. Woelfel has reported that Milwaukee is bringing in top draft prospects to work out.

"I’ve been told by multiple sources the Bucks are taking steps in the event Giannis Antetokounmpo moves on. One of those steps is bringing some projected top 8 draft prospects to Milwaukee before the June 25-26 NBA draft The Bucks, as of now, don’t even have a first-round pick in this year’s draft."

I’ve been told by multiple sources the Bucks are taking steps in the event Giannis Antetokounmpo moves on.
One of those steps is bringing some projected top 8 draft prospects to Milwaukee before the June 25-26 NBA draft
The Bucks, as of now, don’t even have a first-round pick in…
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) May 19, 2025

This news signals that the Bucks are at least doing their due diligence on the possibility of having to trade the star forward. If the team does make Antetokounmpo available on the open market, there would be no shortage of suitors.

But Milwaukee isn't going to just trade him, and the Bucks are going to want a heavy trade package in return. Insider Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that if the Bucks do move Antetokounmpo, general manager Jon Horst will be out for blood.

Like, they want every scenario to gut the other team. And Jon Horst is going to go for blood here, I’m telling you," Sam Amick of The Athletic said on the Ringer NBA podcast.

"He just got a new extension. He has the organization’s backing. Jon is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis—he’s trying to do right by the Bucks.

"And that means that if every scenario in play leaves the other team so gutted that Giannis might not actually be in that much better of a situation, then maybe that’s where he looks at the room and says, 'All right, let me stay put.'”

It remains to be seen if the Bucks will end up moving the star, but there seems to be a lot of smoke around this idea.

More Bucks news:

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Three Bucks Crucial Players Have Tough Decision to Make This Summer

For more news and notes about the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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