As ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks are listening to offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 31-year-old superstar is "ready for a new home," whether it be before the deadline or in the offseason. Although he's available now, that doesn't mean a trade will happen soon, as Jake Fischer highlighted on his latest Bleacher Report livestream.
"If the Bucks wait until this summer, they're going to have a greater asset pool. Again, keeping it with Miami, keeping it with New York, the Heat and the Knicks will both gain access to two more draft picks this summer."
Not only that, as Fischer said, the draft lottery order would be set. The Hawks reportedly aren't interested in parting with the 2026 unprotected first-round pick they received from the Pelicans last June (that's more favorable between New Orleans and Milwaukee), but perhaps Atlanta will change its stance.
Bucks should wait until the offseason to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo
Teams in the West with the combination of young players and assets that could make Milwaukee an offer now — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Houston — reportedly aren't interested in trading for Giannis. Unless one of those three teams changes its mind and joins the mix before the Feb. 5 deadline, the Bucks should hold off on a deal.
Golden State is another suitor for Giannis, and after losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL, the Warriors are more desperate than ever to try to maximize the time they have left with soon-to-be 38-year-old Steph Curry. They can trade their future draft assets to the Bucks now to try to get Giannis to the Bay as soon as possible, with the hope that he'll help them compete for a title as soon as this year.
That is one of many possibilities that Jon Horst and Milwaukee are considering. By no means does this mean that Giannis won't be traded before the deadline, as he's clearly ready to move on, and the Bucks are willing to make that happen. His injury does change things, though, as he'll be out for a few weeks, so he wouldn't be able to take the court immediately if he is traded soon.
There is no rush for Milwaukee to trade him, and it'd make sense to wait a few more months and reignite the bidding war, when teams like the Heat and Knicks will have more on the table. The Bucks need to set themselves up for the future, and waiting until the summer would give them a better chance of doing so.