Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo could force his way out of the franchise in 2025 if the team have another underwhelming season.
That’s according to a report from Bill Reiter, an NBA insider for CBS Sports who also wrote that the player’s preferred destinations include the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP in 2019 and 2020 and Finals MVP winner in 2021, has struggled with a number of untimely injuries around playoff time for the last few years.
In 2023, he missed two games of Milwaukee’s first round series defeat to Miami and in 2024 he suffered a calf injury at the end of the regular season which ruled him out indefinitely.
The Bucks have began the season in ugly fashion, beating the Philadelphia 76ers on their opening night before three straight losses to the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
Khris Middleton is once again sidelined with an injury and Antetokounmpo’s chemistry with co-star Damian Lillard has looked disconnected ever since the blockbuster trade a year ago.
“There’s a rising sense of confidence that if things go badly in Milwaukee that Giannis could be available for trade, would really force his way out of Milwaukee, in the next year.”@sportsreiter pic.twitter.com/9V4MovUmSw
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 31, 2024
Could Giannis Antetokounmpo leave the Bucks in 2025?
There seems to be every chance that Giannis could force his way out next year if things don’t go as hoped. He has a player option in 2027 and Milwaukee would want the biggest return they can get, so a trade is possible.
Doc Rivers is a fairly uninspiring head coach in the current era of the NBA and it doesn’t look likely that he’ll go anywhere soon, considering he signed a deal worth $40 million in January.
Of the two reported teams in the player’s interest, Milwaukee could get the more lucrative haul from the Heat – with players like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez on the table.
