The closer the NBA calendar gets to the trade deadline, the more it looks like Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying put with the Milwaukee Bucks. That is good news for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yes, a Giannis trade between now and Feb. 5 would be the stuff of dreams for the Lakers. However, that was always a long shot. Some NBA insiders believe this situation would get resolved during the offseason with a trade sweepstakes. However, Antetokounmpo made a definitive statement on his future in an interview with The Athletic's Sam Amick.
"I have seen that my team said [in the media that], 'If Giannis doesn’t ask for a trade, we’re not trading him,' so what does that tell you? That I have never gone and asked for a trade," Antetokounmpo said to Amick.
Antetokounmpo continued to reiterate his commitment to the Bucks right now, wanting to turn the situation around. However, there were other tidbits in the interview that left bread crumbs to be paired with the fact that Giannis has not signed an extension in Milwaukee. Connecting a few dots could have one believing maybe the Bucks superstar does hit free agency in 2027.
Giannis' 2027 free agency should be of great intrigue for the Lakers
2026-27 is a fully guaranteed year keeping Giannis and the Bucks together. 2027-28 is a player option that gives Antetokounmpo full control over whether the franchise legend wants to remain in Milwaukee.
"My plan is to be here for the rest of my career. If they don’t want me ...," Giannis said to Amick before the interviewer asserted that Antetokounmpo had control of the situation. "I’m not the one in charge. I am an employee."
So, what happens if the situation arises for Antetokounmpo to not be an employee? Because it will, and quite frankly, Giannis holds all the cards for this to go away very quickly.
Signing a long-term extension with the Bucks would erase all doubt and trade speculation. It would also eliminate a ton of leverage for him to control his future, should the team in Milwaukee continue to struggle. Antetokounmpo has never been shy about saying just how much he cares about winning.
"I don’t enjoy losing. It’s not in my nature. I’m a competitor. I like to win," Giannis told Amick.
In all fairness to the contract speculation, Giannis could be dragging out that process for a bigger payday. However, when Nikola Jokic was thought to be doing the same, his agent said as much plainly.
Antetokounmpo's future will keep being the stuff of great intrigue in Los Angeles until the two-time NBA MVP no longer feels like an option — even if it is a long shot. The dreaming pairing with Luka Doncic is just too much for many in Los Angeles to give up on too quickly.