Several league insiders told Marc Stein of the Stein Line that the Milwaukee Bucks are still holding out hope that a favorable outcome in May’s draft lottery could create a path to keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo with the organization.
While Antetokounmpo has made it clear he is prepared to move on and does not believe the Bucks can currently build a championship-level roster around him, a high pick in a strong draft class could alter that outlook.
Milwaukee does not directly control its own first-round pick this season, as the Atlanta Hawks will receive the more favorable selection between the Bucks’ pick and the one belonging to the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, with both Milwaukee and New Orleans potentially landing in the lottery, there remains a scenario in which the Bucks could still end up with a selection as high as No. 2 overall.
That outcome could give Milwaukee access to top prospects such as Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer, or provide a valuable trade chip that could be flipped for a proven star to pair with Antetokounmpo.
“There are teams out there that believe Milwaukee is thinking that way,” Stein wrote.
Because this possibility remains on the table, along with other considerations, league sources expect the Bucks to hold off on trading Antetokounmpo until the offseason.
Should the lottery not break in their favor, Milwaukee could then proceed with a deal that might yield a more substantial return than anything available before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Bucks May View Lottery As Last Chance To Keep Giannis Antetokounmpo https://t.co/OL7Q4X0c7S
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 4, 2026
