Over the past few weeks, the NBA world has been asking one question: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be traded? Opinions are divided, with some claiming that the player wouldn’t have signed a 3 year, $175.369 million contract if leaving was on his mind. At the same time, however, losing in the first round of the playoffs 3 years in a row would make anyone have second thoughts. Fearing the same, the Milwaukee Bucks are now reportedly planning ways to convince the ‘Greek Freak’ to stay on. The question is: What will they do and say to convince him?

NBA journalist Kevin O’Connor recently invited senior writer Chris Mannix for an interview on his show. During the same time, Mannix revealed that “Every time I check in with someone in the organization, I keep getting told ‘Yes, they’re going to convene. They’re going to have a kind of a come-to-Jesus moment, um, with Giannis, with the front office.’ The front office is going to have their pitch to Giannis to sell him on the idea of staying long-term”.

A private meeting with the ‘Greek Freak’ himself to put out all concerns and discuss a long-term stay? Sounds intriguing. Especially when you add the fact that their way to have Giannis stay on…. is to have him leave for a while.

“Most people I’ve talked to believe the sales pitch will be, you know, hey, a gap year next year,” said Mannix. “You know, where you just claw your way maybe to 500, and then, when you get to the summer of 2026, you’ve got some flexibility in terms of your payroll, you’ve got some flexibility in terms of draft picks you can deal, that’s when they can make their move again”.

The Milwaukee Bucks do not want to lose Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the same time, however, they cannot give him a reason to stay on their current roster. The same team that won the championship title in 2021 does not exist anymore, and a major makeover needs to be done to bring it back to championship contention level. Sure, not having the ‘Greek Freak’ for a year would be financially bad for the team. However, as the senior writer revealed, people will be fine with that.

“And I think there are people in Milwaukee that believe that they’ve earned enough equity with Giannis given what they’ve done over the last 6 years to at least get him to listen, and to consider it,” Mannix added. “So, look, if Giannis says to them like ‘Okay I’ll buy in but we got to bring back Brook Lopez on XYZ.’ Or you know I think there’s a lot of fluidity to uh to what they could do next but really, all I keep hearing Kevin is ‘Hey, we got to talk to him, we got to figure out what he wants. What he’s willing to do, and then we’ve got to base our decisions from there.’”

The gap year would do more than just allow the Bucks to think about who to trade and acquire. It would also give them a chance to figure out how to utilize Giannis best. Kevin O’Connor had a point when he asked that even though the ‘Greek Freak’ was putting up triple doubles, handling the ball, play making, etc, “Does he want that on his plate”? NBA Skills coach Drew Hanlen, who trained Giannis last year, especially highlighted that the player wanted “less wear and tear in his body”, thereby wanting to focus more on his jumper. In the end, all these wishes and issues can be resolved by only talking. A private meeting. Which, as Chris Mannix highlighted, the Bucks have not set a date for.

Giannis might have dropped one hint about his future. “There are two great teams that got there. Indiana, with my friend Pascal Siakam, is reaping the rewards, and OKC simply has the MVP [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander]. I’m rooting for good basketball. The Finals are different, I hope to be back soon with the Bucks.” If he hopes to be back soon with the Bucks, could it mean an extension?

If the Bucks want to secure their star player, they better do it fast. After all, if rumors are to be believed, then another team has been added to the list of potential next homes for the 30-year-old.

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be traded to the San Antonio Spurs?

Since the rumors about a potential Giannis trade first began, almost every team looking to be a championship contender has been linked to the player. ‘NBA Analysis’ speculated the Toronto Raptors as one target, several NBA fans named the Lakers, and NBA reporter Gery Woelfel reported the Knicks’ interest. The list wasn’t already full of names, and the San Antonio Spurs had to, allegedly, put their name in the bag, too.

A Bleacher Report journalist recently highlighted a proposal. The same would see Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to Victor Wembanyama’s team. The Bucks, in the meantime, would benefit heavily, as they would get Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle, a 2025 first-round pick (No. 2), and a 2027 first-round pick (via ATL). While nothing would be worth losing Giannis over, this deal is sweet for the Bucks. After all, Milwaukee would receive some relief in its draft capital deficiency through the No. 2 overall pick in 2025 and a 2027 first-round selection. On top of that, a veteran forward like Harrison Barnes can bring in some needed experience, and the 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists of Stephon Castle show the Bucks could have an efficient scorer in the making.

Unfortunately, Chris Mannix kept his eye on Giannis. The writer has already determined that a Bucks-Spurs trade involving him is a no-go. Why? Well, as he revealed, “In part, because they really like Castle. But also, like, when you trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, yeah, right there and then, you create a championship contender. But Victor Wembanyama is in his early 20s. Like, at some point, Giannis, De’Aaron Fox, the veterans that are there, are going to be gone, and you want to at least have a running buddy for Victor Wembanyama who’s around his age. That you can, uh, that can be kind of there and, you know, for the long term. Cause you don’t want Victor five years from now going ‘Wait a minute. Giannis is gone. Fox is gone. What’s left here? That’s the looming long-term nightmare scenario for San Antonio.”

In that case, the Milwaukee Bucks have a window. Better hope those bullet points are prepared and ready to be presented.