In recent days, NBA teams have increasingly begun to believe that a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5 deadline was becoming more realistic, despite the player saying on Jan. 8 that he would never ask to be dealt by the Milwaukee Bucks.
That speculation was complicated on Friday when the Milwaukee superstar suffered another right calf injury in a loss to Denver. The forward said he expects to miss at least four to six weeks, which will be well past the trade deadline.
Earlier that day, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up that Antetokounmpo is essentially the trade deadline, noting Milwaukee’s continued losses as the main driver of speculation.
Even before the injury, tensions surrounding the Bucks had reached levels not previously seen during Antetokounmpo’s 13 seasons with the team, as Milwaukee sat 18-25 and 11th in the East.
The Bucks star has further fueled the uncertainty by publicly expressing his frustration in recent post-match comments. Rival executives say his status has become the league’s biggest question as the deadline approaches.
“This is shaping up to be a draft day of sorts,” a league source said.
Another added: “It happens.”
With the former MVP sidelined, the Bucks are 3-11 without him, and pursuing win-now trades before February 5 seems impractical.
Milwaukee has struggled to make meaningful trade talks despite making players like Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis Jr. available, and limited draft capital has only added to the challenge.
As a result, league sources increasingly believe that any major Antetokounmpo decision could wait until the offseason, when teams like the Heat and Lakers would have more tradable picks and the Bucks would have more clarity following the NBA lottery.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Buzz was growing more intense around the NBA before the calf injury https://t.co/zm5oIbl7s6
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 24, 2026
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