Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks is the question that rules them all ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, a departure from Milwaukee appears likely to teams across the league, the only question is when.
A potential deal that sends Antetokounmpo elsewhere would be seismic, a drastic decision the Bucks have not made to date, electing to bolster the roster to compete around the franchise’s superstar. In December, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported that strategy remains the plan for Milwaukee, diligently working to find ways to upgrade its roster.
As the deadline inches closer, though, anything can happen as we all saw with the shocking Luka Dončić trade last year. An Antetokounmpo deal wouldn’t necessarily come out of nowhere with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting in early December that him and the Bucks began discussing his future with the franchise.
On ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Wednesday, Brian Windhorst shared that teams around the league expect that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are heading for a divorce whether that comes sooner or later.
“It’s almost like a couple that everybody in the league thinks is going to get divorced,” Windhorst said. “They don’t know if they’re going to get divorced by Easter or if they’re going to get divorced by July 4. In the league, the teams do believe this is going to be a divorce. And I know what Giannis is on the record as saying, I know what Doc [Rivers] is on the record of saying. The Bucks to my knowledge are still not taking phone calls on Giannis, they’re only making outgoing calls. Having said that, I can just tell you that the teams are poised thinking this could end up being a separation at some point.”
Brian Windhorst on Giannis saying he doesn't know if he will finish the season in MIL:
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 21, 2026
"I don't want to antagonize the Bucks fans... BUT, it's almost like a couple everybody in the league thinks will get divorced. They don't know if they'll be divorced by Easter or July 4th. In… pic.twitter.com/d5DlcwnL3m
The Bucks are 18–25 on the season, sitting at 11th place in the Eastern Conference outside of the No. 10 seed and the final spot in the conference’s play-in tournament. Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.5 points per game in 28 appearances, missing time with a calf strain.
He remains under contract through the 2027-28 season with a $62.8 million player option on the final year of his deal. Should the Bucks decide to move on, they would undoubtedly net a massive haul in a trade package that should give the franchise a solid start in a potential new era. If history tells us anything, general manager Jon Horst will try to win with Antetokounmpo in the mix, but his hand could be forced if the Bucks remain out of contention in the East.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brian Windhorst Says Opposing Teams Expect Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks ‘Divorce’.
