The latest NBA rumors reveal that there was at least some chatter with the Milwaukee Bucks about a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. This prompted a strong reaction from the Bucks about opposing teams’ chances of striking a blockbuster NBA trade for the superstar.

Antetokounmpo’s three-year, $175.3 million contract is slated to run through at least the 2026-27 NBA season. The Bucks star has a player option for 2027-28, meaning Antetokounmpo could be a free agent as soon as 2027.

According to longtime NBA writer Gery Woelfel, the Dallas Mavericks inquired about a trade for Antetokounmpo before ultimately swapping Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“To my utter surprise, some of those officials flat-out disputed [Mavericks general manager Nico] Harrison’s comments that he strictly communicated with just the Lakers,” the analyst wrote for Woelfel’s Press Box on Tuesday.

“According two NBA officials, the Mavs had interactions with at least two other teams besides the Lakers. They claimed the Mavs also had conversations with the Bucks and Timberwolves. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which players from those teams would have piqued the Mavs’ interest,” Woelfel added.

“With the Bucks, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who led the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021. Antetokounmpo happens to have a strong rapport with Mavs coach Jason Kidd and his right-hand man, Sean Sweeney.”

There did not appear to be a mutual interest from the Bucks about a potential blockbuster trade. Milwaukee quickly shot down the idea of the team moving on from Antetokounmpo.
“According to one source, the Mavs reached out to the Bucks,” Woelfel noted. “But the Bucks made it clear to Mavs they wouldn’t trade Antetokounmpo even though his future with the team is murky.”

It did not appear to have legs, but it is interesting to imagine another world where the blockbuster NBA trade had Doncic getting swapped for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks clearly value having Antetokounmpo over Doncic.