In recent days, NBA teams had increasingly begun to believe a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade before the February 5 deadline was becoming more realistic, despite the player saying on January 8 that he would never ask to be dealt by the Milwaukee Bucks.
That speculation was complicated 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, extending well past the trade deadline.
Earlier that day, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up that Antetokounmpo effectively is the trade deadline, noting Milwaukee’s continued losing as the primary driver of speculation.
Even before the injury, tensions around the Bucks had reached a level not 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 uncertainty by publicly expressing frustration in recent postgame comments. Rival executives say his status has become the league’s biggest question as the deadline nears.
“This is shaping up to be a draft-day kind of thing,” one league source said.
Another added: “It’s happening.”
With the former MVP sidelined, the Bucks are 3-11 without him, pursuing win-now trades before February 5 appears impractical.
Milwaukee has struggled to generate 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 any major Antetokounmpo decision may wait until the offseason, when teams such as the Heat and Lakers would have more tradeable picks and the Bucks would have greater clarity following the NBA lottery.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Buzz Was Intensifying Around NBA Before Calf Injury https://t.co/zm5oIbl7s6
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 24, 2026
