When it rains, it pours for the Milwaukee Bucks. On the very same day that ESPN insider Brian Windhorst broke the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo had requested a trade before the start of the season, the Greek superstar sustained a no-contact injury.
Giannis fell to the hardwood midway through his team’s win over the Detroit Pistons. He left the floor and was ruled out shortly after. Now, Shams Charania reveals that he’s looking at a couple of weeks on the sidelines at the very least:
“Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be sidelined for approximately 2 to 4 weeks with a right calf strain,” Charania wrote on X.
Giannis Antetokounmpo may have played his last game with the Bucks
Of course, it didn’t take long before conspiracy theorists flooded social media to share their thoughts on Giannis’ injury. The timing raised some doubts, but it’s not like this is the first time he’s dealt with calf injuries. Also, those ailments usually lead to Achilles injuries, so the Bucks will be wise to err on the side of caution with him, regardless of whether they trade him or not.
Per Charania, Antetokounmpo’s camp will be in talks with the team to determine whether to pursue a trade or not. That means he may have played his last game with the organization:
“A resolution to these talks is expected in the coming weeks, sources said, which will shape whether Antetokounmpo is available ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline,” Charania reported.
Windhorst reported that Giannis essentially told the Bucks that he wanted to play for the New York Knicks. That would take plenty of financial juggling, and the Knicks would have to wait until December 15 to make the numbers work, with all deals potentially revolving around Mikal Bridges, who will be eligible to be traded by then.
While Giannis doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, he can still help dictate his future because of his upcoming contract extension. Essentially, whoever trades for him will have to get a verbal guarantee that he intends to be there for the long run:
“On Oct. 1, 2026, Antetokounmpo will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through the 2030-31 season. If he is moved, he'd be able to sign the same deal with another team six months after a trade,” wrote Charania.
Giannis led the Bucks back to relevance and championship contention, but he may have outgrown the team. Whether he’ll play another game for them remains to be seen at this point.