The Milwaukee Bucks are set to face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, and all eyes will be on their star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, this comes amid the furious trade rumors surrounding the two-time league MVP after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported he would be meeting with the franchise’s front office to discuss his future in Wisconsin.

Nonetheless, while the Greek Freak’s future hangs in the air, the Bucks will be hoping to grab a much-needed win tonight. But the question is, will Giannis Antetokounmpo be helping them? After all, apart from the trade situation, the 31-year-old had also been dealing with a calf issue. So, is he all set for this clash?

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight vs the 76ers?

Well, no, as Milwaukee’s superstar forward is still dealing with a left calf strain. According to reports, Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to miss not just tonight’s game, but he will be sidelined for at least two to four weeks. This means that there’s a good chance we might not see him on the floor for the Bucks until next month.

It goes without saying that this is a huge blow for the franchise. After all, Antetokounmpo was playing at an MVP level yet again this season. He was averaging 28.9 points along with 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 63.9 percent from the field. So, not having him for the upcoming stretch of games could be disastrous for Milwaukee.

It is because the Bucks are already 10-13 for the season and are desperate for wins to secure a playoff spot, and their record without their franchise’s cornerstone isn’t great. Last season, they were 8-7 without him, which is far from ideal for them given their current position in the Eastern Conference. Nonetheless, they will now have to look past this and find a suitable replacement for the Greek Freak until he recovers.

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Although it’s hard to say that one player could be able to fill in for Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis might be able to hold the waters at least. So far, the forward has been pretty decent, averaging 11.1 points along with 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Now, these numbers are nowhere near Giannis’ level, but still good for a backup forward. More so, because apart from Giannis’ injury, the Bucks are not doing too badly.

Injury report for the 76ers vs the Bucks

Here’s who the Bucks will miss apart from Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as the players whom the Sixers will miss for tonight’s action.

Milwaukee Bucks injury report

Well, the Milwaukee Bucks only have one more injury on their roster. The franchise will miss its veteran forward, Taurean Prince, who is out with a herniated disc and will miss the remainder of the season. This has been another blow for Milwaukee this season, as Prince was supposed to be an important piece of their rotation. Nonetheless, it’s something they will have to deal with now, as they try to stay afloat.

Philadelphia 76ers injury report

Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s opponents, the Philadelphia 76ers, also have their fair share of injury trouble. That’s because they will be without the likes of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. tonight. Both George and Oubre Jr. are dealing with knee injuries and will miss tonight’s action as a result.

Although Philadelphia has been able to deal with their absences, as they currently boast a 12-9 record for the season, they would do much better with them on the floor. Nonetheless, the 76ers will also miss Trendon Watford, who is set to be re-evaluated in about two weeks, for his adductor injury. Well, all these injuries make you think who will replace these stars in the starting lineups.

76ers vs Bucks predicted lineups– Who is starting tonight?

Well, here’s how the Bucks could lineup without Giannis Antetokounmpo:

And here’s how the 76ers could start amid the absences of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.:

So, this should be an interesting game, because if there’s any truth in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, he’ll closely monitor his team’s performances in his absence. But do the Bucks stand a chance against the Sixers, who are coming off a solid win against the Warriors? Probably not, that too, without their star player. However, still, you can never say never in the NBA.