The Milwaukee Bucks are once again at the center of NBA trade chatter — this time sparked by Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s uncertain future.
The Ringer’s Zach Lowe floated what he called a “semi-plausible” scenario involving Antetokounmpo heading to the New York Knicks, his preferred destination outside of Milwaukee, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The trade idea came during The Zach Lowe Show podcast with guest Ian Begley of SNY, just days after Charania reported that the Knicks and Bucks held an “exclusive” round of trade talks in August. Those discussions, which never advanced beyond preliminary conversations, have become the latest flashpoint in ongoing speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.
“Here’s where we get to semi-plausibility,” Lowe said. “KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] and [OG] Anunoby for Giannis and [Kyle] Kuzma. I’d have to add some salary, but this is a salary that didn’t really work out for us — we’re cool moving on from [Kuzma]. That works [in ESPN’s trade machine].”
What the Hypothetical Means for Milwaukee
Lowe’s mock deal — sending Antetokounmpo and Kuzma to New York in exchange for Towns and Anunoby — was purely theoretical, but it was one of the few proposals the national analysts have called “plausible” from both sides.
Kuzma’s contract — salary that declines from $22.4 million this season to $20.4 million next year — is a reasonable throw-in for the Knicks to absorb.
“That one at least is worth talking about,” Lowe said of his mock trade. “Again, this is all theoretical. Nothing is happening right now.”
Begley agreed that, from Milwaukee’s standpoint, the trade made more sense than other proposals he’s heard.
“You’re going to want to add a player that you want to get off of or would be comfortable getting off of — that gives you a little bit more financial freedom,” Begley said. “And why would you do that if it’s Myles Turner, a guy you just acquired? So, that to me makes a little bit more sense if we’re talking about the Knicks including all their draft capital in a deal like that.”
For the Bucks, a package built around Towns — still only 29 — and a two-way wing like Anunoby could at least keep them competitive in the Eastern Conference if a trade ever became unavoidable.
The Bucks do not own their first-round picks until 2031, so they are not motivated to go the full rebuilding route if Antetokounmpo seeks a trade.
Bucks Staying the Course, for Now
Despite the chatter, nothing indicates Milwaukee is looking to move its franchise cornerstone. Team officials have repeatedly said their goal is to re-establish themselves as title contenders following consecutive first-round playoff exits.
Antetokounmpo himself addressed the rumors Wednesday, neither confirming nor denying Charania’s report but reaffirming his focus on the season ahead.
“First of all, I haven’t read that story,” Antetokounmpo said after practice. “When the season starts, I try to get off social media and focus on my craft and the team. 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. We’re here to do something special. All the other extra stuff does not matter.”
Even so, Antetokounmpo’s follow-up comments — that he might “re-evaluate” his situation in a time frame that coincides with the season’s end — have kept the NBA rumor mill spinning.
“I’ve communicated with my teammates and the people I respect that the moment I step on this court, the rest does not matter,” he said. “I’m locked in. Now, if in six or seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human too.”
The trade chatter will only get louder if they get off to a slow start.
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