Another ride on this stupid carousel!
On June 15, Desmond Bane was traded to the Orlando Magic, kicking off what has been a wild NBA offseason so far. From stars on the move via trade to the NBA draft, fans have not been deprived of excitement since the Finals concluded.
The Milwaukee Bucks, however, are not one of the teams that have made a notable offseason move yet. Despite the lack of activity from Jon Horst, there has been plenty of noise surrounding the franchise.
Since the 2021 championship, it seems that after every season ends, rumors surface that Giannis could be seeking a way out of Milwaukee. This year was no different. Giannis has never indicated that he wants out, but every year, Bucks fans endure an offseason stretch filled with speculation about him finding a new home. Now that it has been all but confirmed Giannis is going nowhere, I figured it would be fun to recap some of the key moments in this offseason’s “Giannis wants out” saga.
April 14 – Marcus Morris Sr. shares his thoughts
Five days prior to Game 1 of the Bucks’ first-round series against the Pacers, Marcus Morris Sr. joined ESPN’s First Take. While the Bucks had yet to play a minute of playoff basketball, Morris said that if the Bucks could not advance past Indiana, both Giannis and Damian Lillard should force their way to Miami. Outrageous takes from former players trying to find a place in the media space are common, but I found this one particularly memorable. Not only did Morris push for both Giannis and Dame to leave Milwaukee, but he picked Miami as the destination, a team that is mentioned in what feels like every single free agency or trade rumor. Morris was simply stating his opinion, but the take coming just days before a series where Giannis and Dame made their playoff debut as a duo made it stand out to me.
May 12 – Shams starts the rumors
On the day of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, a report from ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania kicked off this cycle of Giannis trade rumors.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo has not made any firm decisions, but for the first time in his career, he is open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee—or playing elsewhere.”
This headline dropping on Draft Lottery day opened the door for the ESPN broadcast to speculate whether certain teams should offer their pick—or picks—in a potential Giannis trade. Maybe Shams did have reason to believe Giannis was open to a new destination, but it seemed like too perfect of a coincidence that this report dropped on the day where top picks—that would be necessary for a Giannis trade—were announced.
May 17 – Giannis answers important questions on X
Amidst a whirlwind of rumors, Giannis took to social media to address absolutely nothing relating to the situation. In the stretch of a couple days, Giannis answered fans’ questions about food, other sports, TV shows, and more, but did not address any of the ongoing rumors. NBA fans know Giannis as a fun guy, so seeing him answer fan questions on social media did not come as a surprise, but it was funny to Bucks fans that while the media was actively constructing a “Giannis wants out” narrative, he could not be bothered and was simply enjoying the offseason.
June 2 – Toronto Star lists unexpected destination
As is the case every time a star could potentially be on the move, plenty of mock trades sending Giannis to the league’s biggest markets surfaced. One report of a wild-card destination I found notable was that of the Toronto Star. Per the report, there was mutual interest between Giannis and—you guessed it—the Toronto Raptors. While it felt like there were rumors connecting Giannis to just about every team in the league, I found it hilarious that the Toronto Star specifically reported mutual interest between Giannis and the Raptors despite there being no signs from Giannis that he would leave Milwaukee.
June 6 – Knicks mentioned as a suitor
Shortly after New York fired Tom Thibodeau, former Bucks media member Gery Woelfel reported that the Knicks were preparing a “tsunami-type offer” for Giannis. If Giannis ever became available, the Knicks would certainly be interested. Giannis was never actually going to be traded, but if this hypothetical “tsunami-type offer” had materialized (editor’s note: no one apparently told Gery that the Knicks had traded all their picks for Mikale Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, or Gery didn’t bother to look), the Knicks would have attempted to reunite Giannis and Jason Kidd. However, as quickly as Giannis trade rumors were shut down, Shams reported that the Knicks were “firmly rejected” permission to interview Jason Kidd. For a few days, it is possible that some overly optimistic Knicks fans were expecting a Giannis and Kidd reunion in the Big Apple, but there was never a real chance.
June 10 – Giannis puts rumors to rest
Nearly a month after the initial Shams report that Giannis was open to other destinations, he finally addressed the rumors. Amidst the NBA Finals, according to Eurohoops.net, Giannis was reportedly cheering for “good basketball” and hoping to get back to the Finals with the Bucks—not another team. A post on his Instagram showed him proudly holding his Bucks uniform, all but confirming the report.
Just days later, ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst went on Get Up to confirm that a Giannis trade would not be happening in the “short-term”. Many Bucks fans were likely never worried about a Giannis trade, as these rumors resurface every offseason, but clarification from both Giannis and Windhorst was certainly reassuring.
June 13 – Stephen A. Smith changes the conversation
Once it was confirmed that Giannis would be a Buck next season, Stephen A. Smith decided to start an interesting dialogue. On an episode of ESPN’s First Take, Smith said that Giannis would be an “underachiever” if he does not win another championship in Milwaukee. In 2013, the Bucks drafted a scrawny, raw prospect from Greece, hoping that maybe he would turn into a solid NBA player. He has turned into a two-time MVP and led the franchise to a championship. That is not the résumé of an underachiever. Smith has been on the receiving end of significant criticism from NBA fans recently, and this take has received its fair share of that criticism. A superstar being loyal to a small-market franchise does not mean the media needs to find a way to bash him.
As the offseason progresses, the Bucks will certainly begin to make changes to the roster as the team prepares for a 2025–26 season where the Eastern Conference is looking more open by the day. For now, Bucks fans can rejoice that their superstar is staying put.
Not only is Giannis staying, he is doing everything he can to help his team be successful. Recent social media posts from Andre Jackson Jr., Chris Livingston, Jamaree Bouyea, and Tyler Smith are in Greece with Giannis. Marques Johnson has also said that two-way guys Pete Nance and Stanley Umude will join the group in Greece. Having the team’s young players visit his home country to work out is not something a guy who wants out would organize. Giannis wants to win, and he wants to do it in Milwaukee.
The Bucks are a long way from being back on the court, and fans are continuing to wait for the first big offseason transaction, but having a loyal superstar can always be appreciated.