With the rising buzz around the trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo, it has become more of a question of when than if he gets traded at this point. A few hours ago, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be traded from the Bucks to either the Heat or the Celtics before 7 PM tomorrow, the same night as the 2026 NBA Draft.
Subsequently, Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a post on his Instagram account that seems to be a farewell message at first impression.
“God, I trusted you at the beginning, I will continue to trust you throughout,” wrote Antetokounmpo in the caption with a picture of himself walking into darkness.
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This post made a lot of fans on social media feel like this was the Greek superstar bidding farewell to the Bucks, while some were conflicted in frustration that this saga has gone on for so long that they wouldn’t be surprised if he extends his stay in Milwaukee with a contract extension either.
Soon after, Shams Charania gave another development on the trade saga during his appearance on ESPN’s coverage of the Draft.
“At this very hour, the Milwaukee Bucks are moving closer and closer to a trade resolution for Giannis. They are sifting through the decision to make a franchise-altering choice of a trade.”
“They’ve been in serious conversations with Miami and Boston. Those are the two finalists for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Those are the two teams that are his preferred trade destinations where he would get his long-term extension. But these are two totally different trade frameworks,” Charania explained.
“In Boston, you have a package centered around Jaylen Brown, an All-NBA star who is on a big-money supermax contract. On the other hand, with Miami, you’re looking at cost-controlled rookie-scale contracts as well as a surplus of draft picks. Those are two different directions for the Bucks’ organization, which is why all layers of this organization are meeting, trying to figure out what to do.”
“But the Draft is upon us, coming up, and the No. 13th pick from Miami and the 27th pick from Boston are both in play right now. So the Bucks, in a lot of ways, are on the clock.”
“Giannis, I’m told, has been abroad for a little bit of time. He is on his way back from the States. As of right now, he’s ready for a trade, whether it’s Miami or Boston,” Charania concluded.
Until last night, there was also a realistic possibility that this drags on beyond the night of the 2026 NBA Draft. But today, it seems like Miami and Boston are the only two teams that are making considerable offers that would potentially appease both parties, as they are reportedly the two teams in the race where Giannis would be willing to sign a long-term extension.
Therefore, all signs are pointing to the choice coming down to just these two teams, no matter when the deal takes place. The only reason why the Bucks are considered to be on the clock is that the Bucks are presumed to want to control the pick that will be made tomorrow night.
They may still hold out beyond the NBA Draft, but it seems unlikely at this point. Hence, it will be fascinating to see if the Bucks consider the 2026 Draft class so valuable that they want to rush the decision of trading the face of their franchise for a high-value pick in it or not.
