Insider suggests Giannis Antetokounmpo's days in Milwaukee 'numbered'

Giannis Antetokounmpo is entering his 13th season with the Milwaukee Bucks, making him the third-longest tenured player with the same team in the NBA, behind only Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.

The "Greek Freak" has valued loyalty to the franchise that drafted him with the 15th overall pick in 2013, but his priorities might be changing. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Antetokounmpo is on the brink of seeking a trade from the Bucks, and everyone in the NBA is aware of it. 

"There has been an expectation for quite some time that Giannis' days in Milwaukee one way or another are numbered," Windhorst told "NBA Today" on Monday. "Whether that was gonna happen this year, whether it's gonna happen potentially during this season, or whether it could happen next summer."

Knicks, Bucks engaged in trade talks

Windhorst's comments came shortly after ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday that the New York Knicks and Bucks briefly engaged in conversations "for a window of time" in August, but did not get any traction on a potential deal.

The report added that Antetokounmpo expressed interest in a move to the Big Apple, which created an "exclusive negotiating window" for the Knicks. However, the New York-based franchise "did not make a strong enough offer" to lure the Bucks, per Charania's sources. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo could alter NBA landscape

If the Bucks do trade Antetokounmpo by the end of the 2025-26 season, the landscape of the NBA could drastically shift. Antetokounmpo, a consensus top-5 player, has the skillset and cachet to not only alter his next team's fortunes, but shake up the dynamic of the entire league.

That's precisely why insiders don't expect the Bucks to rush into a deal and instead weigh all their options in the coming months. The Bucks are also not obligated to trade the two-time MVP to a team of his preference, given that he's under contract for two more seasons.

Antetokounmpo last season became the first player in NBA history to average over 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on 60 percent shooting for two consecutive years.