Giannis Antetokounmpo’s reputation precedes him. He’s among the best players in the NBA and the best players in Milwaukee Bucks’ history. As a two-time MVP and the first player to guide the Bucks to a title in decades, they will do anything to capitalize on their championship window with him.

The problem is the Bucks have not had much playoff success since winning the championship in 2021. Winning only one series since then, their failures could be a problem for Antetokounmpo.

NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealed on The Stein Line Substack Chat that teams are closely monitoring how things play out with Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. When a subscriber asked about the likelihood of Giannis asking out, Fischer had this to write.

“Teams are certainly hoping for that possibility if the Bucks fall short in the playoffs again,” Fischer wrote.

As the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee is not in the worst place, but they likely expected to be better coming into the season. The Bucks could stick with their current team, but that hasn’t gotten them the desired results.

This might be why teams are hesitant to make trades

A few trades have gone down this season, but not many. There will probably be a few more, with the NBA trade deadline a few weeks away. However, what may stop teams from trading for some of the bigger names available is the prospect of acquiring Giannis should he ask out.

The bottom line is that teams who could make trades want a big fish, and that’s exactly what Antetokounmpo is.

The Bucks may want to do everything possible to prevent Antetokounmpo from requesting a trade. So, players like Bradley Beal have been floated as trade targets to strengthen themselves as title contenders.

It might not be perfect, but teams try trades like that in desperate times. 

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