The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder do have the necessary assets to make a blockbuster trade for nine-time All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — but do they even want him?
Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the Thunder have "no real interest" in acquiring the two-time MVP in 2025-26.
The 30-year-old big man remains as lethal and athletic as ever, but since his 2021 championship he has been languishing on several middling also-rans Bucks rosters.
The Thunder have the assets, but they don't have Antetokounmpo's interest — yet
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, this summer the New York Knicks emerged as the "only" franchise Antetokounmpo wanted to potentially be moved to in a trade. Milwaukee and New York allegedly had exploratory talks in August.
New York emerged as the only team Giannis Antetokounmpo desired outside of Milwaukee in the offseason, sources told ESPN, and the Knicks and Bucks engaged in talks for a window of time.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 7, 2025
Inside the clouds leaving Giannis' future hanging in the balance: https://t.co/yxcmDnzQ6K
Since Charania's report came out, Antetokounmpo himself reassured the Bucks faithful that he's "committed to this team."
Giannis addresses the ESPN report:
— monis (@mrbigfits) October 8, 2025
"My decision today is that I'm here and I'm committed to this team."
Full interview is worth listening to: https://t.co/KBor9G16Pt pic.twitter.com/2iqL8LSJwD
In fairness, Milwaukee has been brutally mismanaged since falling to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Antetokounmpo was dealing with a back injury and missed games, but the Heat also largely outplayed the Bucks. In something of a panicked overreaction, general manager Jon Horst fired longtime head coach Mike Budenholzer, replacing him first with Adrian Griffin.
MORE NEWS: Thunder trade pitch lands 9-time All-Star in blockbuster deal
Horst also flipped All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal for offense-only aging All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, a disastrous deal in retrospect that killed the club's lethal coverage along the perimeter, especially at the point of attack. Griffin was fired midseason and replaced with Doc Rivers.
Injuries to Lillard and Antetokounmpo hurt the club against the younger, healthier Indiana Pacers in the 2024 playoffs, and Milwaukee again fell in the first round.
With Khris Middleton aging, Horst offloaded his contract to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, who became virtually unplayable for the Bucks in the 2025 postseason — where they were again bounced by the healthier Pacers in the first round, although this time only Lillard was hurt, while Antetokounmpo gave his all.
Now, Horst has stretched and waived Lillard's remaining $112.6 million contract, and brought in the Pacers' former starting center Myles Turner. But this Bucks team is far from being a contender, even in the weakened East.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is a title favorite even without Antetokounmpo. After all, the 68-win Thunder outlasted the Pacers in a seven-game NBA Finals faceoff, and boast one of the most loaded squads in the Western Conference.