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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 04: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks off the court after working out before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Fiserv Forum on February 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Bucks are entering a crossroads this summer. Giannis Antetokounmpo seems like he will no longer be with the team next year after a rocky finish to the year. All throughout the year, Milwaukee was dealing with rumors of him wanting out.

Milwaukee decided not to deal him at the trade deadline. Instead, they wanted to wait until more teams were able to have assets to offer them. Now that the regular season is over, teams will likely be calling Milwaukee about packages for Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks don’t have an opportunity to tank because they don’t have their own picks. A trade proposal from Zach Lowe would allow them to get those picks back.

Milwaukee Bucks Trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to get Their Picks Back

While speaking on the Zach Lowe Show, Lowe puts out a theoretical trade proposal that would see Antetokounmpo go to the Celtics, but the Trail Blazers give Milwaukee their picks back.

“I think there’s a fun three-way trade where Giannis goes to Boston, Jaylen Brown goes to Portland, and Portland sends salary and picks, notably Milwaukee’s own picks, and Boston sends picks and stuff back to Milwaukee in a full rebuild mode.”

If Milwaukee wants to be bad, they need their own picks. Otherwise, they have no incentive to try to rebuild right now. Getting those back would allow them to explore gutting the team and starting over without Antetokounmpo. Trading with the Blazers gets that done.

Of course, there will be plenty of other offers. There are other teams around the league who have both young players and draft picks to offer. This trade proposal doesn’t see the Blazers trade too much back to the Bucks except for those picks to facilitate a total teardown of the roster.

The Bucks Need to Get the Perfect Trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo

This will be the most consequential trade of Jon Horst’s executive career. With Horst being the GM and signing a contract extension recently, he needs to nail this trade. Getting the right price in return for Antetokounmpo will be the difference in the Bucks rebuilding quickly or sputtering.

The contract that Myles Turner signed looks really bad at the moment. They either need to get players back who can fit with him or look to flip him to another team. Turner’s stats were all worse this year than they were last year, so that will make it tough.

Antetokounmpo wants to go to a team that has a shot to win a championship. Milwaukee has no obligation to honor that. They need to trade him to whichever team offers them the best deal. However, most teams that are thinking about trading him are already close to title contention.

Antetokounmpo won one title with the Bucks. Fans will still enjoy what he did for them, even if he does end up leaving the franchise.