It’s entirely possible that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has played his final game with the Milwaukee Bucks franchise.
This Christmas, Rudolph is not the most famous reindeer of them all.
The eyes of the Milwaukee Bucks and beyond rest on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP and longtime franchise face, after multiple reports hinted that he would seek a trade out of Wisconsin. Just about 24 hours after such gossip surfaced, Antetokounmpo endured a calf strain during the Bucks’ Wednesday win over the Detroit Pistons.
The injury will keep the “Greek Freak” out for at least two weeks, but the rumors will likely engage in no such holiday. Will he be traded before he plays another game in a Bucks uniform? Bucks head coach Doc Rivers kept a stoic front this week, reiterating that he never heard Antetokounmpo voice a request to be traded.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the third longest-tenured player in the NBA, trailing only Steph Curry and Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/zXqIjw8nCZ
— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) December 3, 2025
“Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear,” Rivers said, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. “We’re trying to win games … the reason this is out is because we’re not playing well … We had a tough loss the other night and so now this is the subject matter. It’s no more true than it was this summer.”
Rivers’ report of inactivity contrasts the gossip that emerged this offseason: both Charania and Brian Windhorst, also of ESPN, reported that the Bucks did have at least some Antetokounmpo-centered discussions with the New York Knicks, a team well-versed in rumors mills as the landing spot of elite NBA talents.
In a July interview with online personality IShowSpeed, Antetokounmpo said that “a lot of people have tried to convince [him] … to go … and play” in New York, which currently sits second in the Eastern Conference. With the season underway, the Knicks are said to have some company in the updated Antetokounmpo discussions, with Windhorst reporting that the Bucks’ negotiations would no longer be exclusive to Manhattan.
Even if Antetokounmpo hasn’t been vocal about his future, the Bucks’ hand may be forced to secure a smoother future: Milwaukee (10-13) had dropped seven straight prior to a recent 3-1 stretch, the last addition to the losses ironically being a defeat to the Knicks that prevented it from protecting its NBA Cup title. Having won just one playoff series since their 2021 championship run, the Bucks were said to have built their offseason with the idea of making another Larry O’Brien stand with Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 on Saturday.
To that end, Milwaukee made several offseason swings, which included re-upping with Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, and Gary Trent Jr. and signing recurring playoff foe Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers, though Antetokounmpo was said to be perturbed by the loss Damian Lillard, who was waived in the wake of the Turner deal. That hasn’t panned out in the early going, as the Bucks currently sit in the 10th spot in the East, the last of the four Play-In entries.
With the Antetokounmpo deal hovering over them, the Bucks, sans the MVP, will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night at Fiserv Forum (8 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Wisconsin).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Editor's Pick
2025-26 NBA MVP Ladder: December 3 Rankings