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Giannis Antetokounmpo prepping to re-evaluate future with the Bucks after the offseason

Originally posted on HITC | By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 9:27 AM ET

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t ready to make his decision just yet, but the Milwaukee Bucks don’t have long to convince him.

It’s been a turbulent summer for the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with more noise surrounding the team than there is optimism about their future.

Milwaukee made ~some major moves~ recently, hoping they would win Giannis Antetokounmpo back into a contending mindset. Instead, they seem to have driven him further away.

On Wednesday, ESPN reported Giannis is not going to make any decisions until just before training camp next season. Giannis is giving the Bucks the entire summer to prove themselves to him.

He isn’t ready to ask out yet, but it feels inevitable at this point. The Bucks have until the end of the NBA offseason to convince him otherwise.

Giannis Antetokounmpo to decide on future with Milwaukee Bucks before training camp

Shams Charania spoke about Giannis’ apparent mindset and timeline before making a decision on his long-term future in Milwaukee.

According to Charania, Giannis is looking for more than just star power this time around. He wants to be in a championship environment. The chance of competing is more important to him than what names are on the roster.

That’s something we have seen slowly come to light over the last two years. The Bucks have continued to try and build around Giannis, but each time they’ve failed to build a contender, with last season being a direct result of that.

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The start of the 2025 offseason has been no different. The Bucks waived Damian Lillard and then signed none other than Myles Turner to a massive contract that has further restricted their ability to build a championship team.

The NBA is so loaded with talented teams, and it doesn’t take long to go from favorites to a laughing-stock. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Giannis request out before August.

There is a case to be made that the Bucks used Damian Lillard as a way to do a larger roster overhaul. Waiving a non-healthy Lillard freed up a place for Turner to join the team, which will likely lead to roster flexibility as the offseason goes on.

That hasn’t been the narrative in the media, however. Many have pointed out the disrespect towards Lillard, who spent his entire preseason in Portland rehabbing and then wasn’t allowed to do the same when injured.

Damian Lillard learned about waiver via social media

Chris Haynes revealed that Damian Lillard learned of his release through social media.

At no point during the process did the Bucks front office contact the star to fill him in on their discussions and decisions.

“Damian Lillard — how did he find out about this? I’m told that he found out by phone. A friend of his called him up and asked if it was true.

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

“Dame didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, so he went ahead and checked social media. That’s the way that it was found out just like everybody else.”

The Damian Lillard saga will be something to keep an eye on over time. Miami Heat fans are already calling for Lillard to head to South Beach, while a number of other reports have linked the star to LA.

The Bucks have not spoken to Lillard or provided any direct comment to the star following his release.

It won’t be surprising to see more players side with Giannis Antetokounmpo if he does, in fact, decide to leave before the start of the season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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