The Milwaukee Bucks have been in constant rumors since they were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
ESPN’s Shams Charania originally reported that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was ‘open-minded’ on the possibility of a trade this offseason. During coverage of the second round of the NBA Draft, he reported again that the former Finals MVP is monitoring the Bucks’ draft picks ahead of free agency.
“I’m told Giannis Antetokounmpo is closely observing the Bucks draft here tonight and then free agency next week and what moves can this organization make to elevate the team,” Charania said.
Following the draft, Charania announced that Milwaukee had signed former All-American and Alabama point guard Mark Sears. Sears averaged 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 40.3% shooting in 37 games this season.
Update On Giannis’ Offseason Plans
Antetokounmpo has spent the first 12 seasons of his NBA career with the Bucks. They won the title in 2021, their first in 50 years, but have only won one playoff series since.
Charania initially reported that Antetokounmpo was open to exploring the idea of joining a new team. However, reports later clarified that he had not officially requested a trade. As of the 2025 NBA Draft, he remains committed to winning another championship with the Bucks.
During the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Charania gave another update on the nine-time All-Star, saying that he is still ‘open-minded’ about his future.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo has been open-minded about the best fit moving forward. He spent 12 years there, there’s a level of equity there that he has there in Milwaukee,” Charania said. “But he has said publicly he wants to compete for a second championship, so what moves can the Bucks make in the coming weeks.”
Before the draft and offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks also reported on Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks. He said that Milwaukee is ‘aggressively’ exploring the trade market to find other stars to pair alongside the Finals MVP.
It would be easy for the Bucks to put Antetokounmpo on the trade market, especially in light of Lillard’s Achilles injury and consecutive losses in the first round,” Marks wrote. “However, sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo.”
Throughout the entire saga, Antetokounmpo has yet to comment on the matter himself.
Bucks Add Sears To Replace Lillard
Sears heads to Milwaukee as one of the best players in college basketball last season. His 6’1″ frame was likely a factor in Sears not being selected with one of the 59 picks of the draft, but he has a strong scoring ability.
He set the NCAA Tournament single-game three-point record earlier this season, hitting ten shots from deep against BYU. Sears is also Alabama’s single-season scoring leader, with 748 points in 2023-24, and was named an All-American this season.
While his size could pose challenges at the professional level, Sears is a proven scorer who brought the Crimson Tide to unseen heights in college basketball. His addition to the team is likely to replace Damian Lillard as a shooter and playmaker, who tore his Achilles in Milwaukee’s first-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks also drafted Bogoljub Markovic with the 47th pick of this year’s draft. The 6’11” 19-year-old from Serbia was named the ABA Junior League MVP in 2024 and averaged 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for Mega Basket this season. He is a raw prospect joining a Milwaukee team that has an uncertain future amidst the recent rumors.
The Bucks don’t have a first-round pick until 2031, which could make it difficult to trade for supporting pieces alongside Antetokounmpo in the future.
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