Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a lot of thinking to do this off-season about his future with the Milwaukee Bucks. After Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles, which is expected to sideline him for most of, if not all, of next season, it appears the Bucks’ contending window had officially closed.
After the Bucks officially lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, people began to wonder if Antetokounmpo had played his last game in a Bucks uniform, which seems all the more likely the deeper we get into the off-season. Teams have even begun to emerge as potential suitors and front-runners in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Prefers East, per NBA Insider Brandon Robinson
The Antetokounmpo rumour mill is already in full swing, not even a month removed from the end of his season. Speculation has it that Antetokounmpo will move on from the Bucks and seek to contend for championships on another franchise for the first time in his career.
NBA Insider Brandon Robinson has reported that Antetokounmpo allegedly wants to stay in the Eastern Conference. In addition, two teams specifically have seemed to draw the attention of the star. Robinson noted that “two teams that have emerged as destinations of interest for the two-time MVP are the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets.”
Interesting choices from Antetokounmpo, as both the Raptors and the Nets missed the playoffs this past season. Adding a player of Antetokounmpo’s stature, however, would almost certainly move those teams into the playoff picture. Both can potentially move into title contention if their young cores can materialize and develop into key pieces of a championship team.
Both teams would certainly have the assets to make a deal happen, as both have a plethora of draft picks over the next couple of years. Both teams have a top 10 pick in this year’s draft, widely considered to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. The Raptors and the Nets also have tons of young talent on their roster that the Bucks could use to kickstart their rebuild. Which young prospects are available for trade, however, is yet to be determined.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Reportedly Intrigued by Playing in a State With No Income Tax
Antetokounmpo is currently considering all options as his future in the NBA and with the Milwaukee Bucks remains up in the air. NBA Insider Sam Amico has reportedly stated that Antetokounmpo is “intrigued” by playing in a state with zero income tax. States with NBA teams that would qualify are Florida (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic), Tennessee (Memphis Grizzlies), and Texas (San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks).
MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Shocking Lottery Results
Only time will tell where Antetokounmpo ends up. Either way, he will give whichever team he joins a massive boost into title contention. If he stays with the Bucks, it will be with a commitment from the front office to improve the roster into a contending and competitive team. Either way, expect Antetokounmpo to be fighting for a championship next season to the best of his capabilities.
