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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future With Bucks Enters Formal Talks as Knicks Lose ‘Exclusive’ Edge

Insider accounts describe active discussions targeting a pre-deadline decision, contrasting with Milwaukee’s insistence he isn’t available.

Overview

  • ESPN’s Shams Charania reports Antetokounmpo and his representatives are in conversations about his future with the goal of reaching clarity before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
  • The Bucks have told teams he is not available for trade and head coach Doc Rivers says Antetokounmpo has never asked out.
  • New reporting says New York no longer holds an exclusive pathway, with the Knicks joined by other interested teams as league-wide competition forms.
  • Any realistic deal is expected to be enormously costly and complex, with mock scenarios involving multiple first-round picks, key young players and potential three-team structures.
  • Antetokounmpo is out roughly a month with a right calf strain, the Bucks are 10–15, and his contract through 2026–27 with a 2027–28 player option gives him leverage over any potential destination.