The San Antonio Spurs are positioning themselves for what could be the biggest superstar sweepstakes of 2026 — a potential trade for Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But they aren’t the only team preparing. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, nearly every front office across the NBA has already started game-planning for the possibility that Antetokounmpo could seek a new team next summer.
“[Antetokounmpo] just gave you the answer to that question,” Windhorst said Thursday on ESPN’s First Take. “He said six or seven months. He didn’t just pull that number out of thin air — he thought very carefully about how long it was until the end of the season. And what he basically said there is, ‘I’m going to give it another evaluation at the end of the season.’”
Windhorst added that while Milwaukee remains hopeful for a deep playoff run, league insiders increasingly view Antetokounmpo’s long-term future with the Bucks as tenuous.
“It is very clear to the whole league that Giannis’s situation in Milwaukee is probably short-term,” Windhorst said. “Could they surprise the league this year and have a great run in the Eastern Conference? I’ve seen stranger things. The Eastern Conference is not particularly strong, and that’s why Giannis is leaving the door open. But the league is preparing for the end of Giannis’s tenure in Milwaukee.”
Giannis Sends Mixed Signals About Future
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP, has spent the past decade defining the Bucks’ identity. But his recent remarks suggest a subtle shift in tone.
“First of all, I haven’t read that story,” Antetokounmpo said after Wednesday’s practice. “When the season starts, I try to get off social media and focus on my craft and the team. But yeah, I’ve said this many times: I want to be in a situation where I can win — and right now, I’m here. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates.”
Still, he acknowledged the possibility of a future change of heart.
“I think I’ve communicated with my teammates and the people I respect that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, the rest does not matter,” he said. “Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human too. You’re allowed to make any decision you want.”
The comments have reinforced the notion that Milwaukee’s 2025–26 campaign is effectively “championship or bust.” Anything short of a deep playoff run could push Antetokounmpo — and the Bucks — toward a franchise-altering crossroads.
Spurs Among Few with Trade Firepower
If that moment arrives, San Antonio will be ready. ESPN’s front office analyst Bobby Marks identified the Spurs — along with the Houston Rockets — as one of the few teams equipped with enough assets to present Milwaukee a competitive trade package.
“Well, San Antonio still does even after acquiring De’Aaron Fox,” Marks said Tuesday on NBA Today. “They still have tradable picks to go out. Remember, they have that Atlanta pick, they have a swap in 2027, and they still have tradable contracts when you’re looking at players like Devin Vassell.”
The Spurs can send out as many as four future first-round picks (2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032), plus multiple swap rights with Boston and either Dallas or Minnesota, depending on which pick conveys higher. Add to that their attractive young duo — 2024 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper and 2025 No. 4 pick Stephon Castle — and San Antonio’s blend of youth, assets, and flexibility makes them one of the few franchises capable of constructing an offer both appealing and sustainable.
Spurs’ Patience Could Pay Off
The Spurs notably stayed on the sidelines during last summer’s Kevin Durant trade mania, opting to preserve their draft capital and continue building around Victor Wembanyama and waiting for Antetokounmpo to become available. That patience could soon pay off.
While the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is still speculative, the league is treating it as a matter of “when,” not “if.” And when that moment comes, San Antonio — armed with assets, stability, and an All-NBA cornerstone — may find itself in a rare position of leverage.
For now, the league watches and waits — and in San Antonio, quiet preparation continues.
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