The Milwaukee Bucks are going to be one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA this offseason. They are widely expected to field calls from around the league about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. Many people around the league expect him to be traded.
Antetokounmpo only played 36 games this season. He suffered multiple calf injuries and also talked with his agent about possibly leaving during the season. It seems like all parties are ready to move on at this point. Yet, other players around the league have a different take.
An anonymous player poll from The Athletic shows that other guys around the league think he might stick around in Milwaukee.
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dribbles the ball. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
NBA Players Think Giannis Antetokounmpo Stays With the Bucks
According to that poll, players around the league believe that he will stick with Milwaukee. In fact, of the players surveyed, 45.7 percent believe that he will be playing for the Bucks next season. That is by far the largest number of votes for every other team.
The team that received the second-most votes was the Heat, which got 23.2 percent of the vote. It’s clear that other players around the NBA don’t expect Antetokounmpo to actually ask out. It’s something that he has been reluctant to fully do over the last year or so.
If the Bucks do decide to trade Antetokounmpo, they would need to get a treasure trove of assets in return. A trade of Antetokounmpo would signal a full rebuild. He is still one of the best players in the league when he is fully healthy, which is starting to become a problem.
This past season, Milwaukee had the seventh-worst offense in the regular season. Even when Antetokounmpo was in the lineup, they clearly needed some help to fix the offense. If he does stay with the Bucks, they have to make some other trades to make the team more competitive.
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dribbles the ball. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Milwaukee Will Make a Giannis Antetokounmpo Decision Prior to the Draft
If the players are correct about their prediction, fans will know for sure before the NBA Draft. The Bucks would likely move Antetokounmpo before the draft. Packages from several competing teams would use draft assets as part of their plot to acquire Antetokounmpo, so getting a deal done before the draft is the best way to do things.
Over the next month or so, the Bucks are going to receive a lot of calls from rival teams. The question will remain how motivated they are to move off from their franchise player unless he demands to be moved. If they received a Godfather offer, they would likely have to consider it regardless.
NBA players follow the rumor mill just as much as fans do, but they don’t seem to think Milwaukee will give up on Antetokounmpo. Or perhaps they don’t think he actually wants to leave Milwaukee. Either way, the players believe he is likely to stay home.
Players Give Strong Prediction for Where Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Play Next Year