As teams refine their rosters, preparing for the NBA’s next era, several stars could be on the move in the coming months. However, they’re all hovering around Milwaukee Bucks showstopper Giannis Antetokounmpo. At 31 years old, he’s no longer in the spring of his youth. Nevertheless, he remains an elite forward who leaves his palm prints on the game at both ends. He’s so dominant in fact that everyone thinks it’s a travesty he’s playing for the Bucks, who are 17-24 midway through the 2025-26 season.

This feeling has become so palpable it’s educing tangible results.

‘Whole League Is Watching’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Broken Bucks

In spite of Antetokounmpo’s declarations of team loyalty, many believe it’s only a matter of time before he asks for a trade. Indeed, “there’s a whole bunch of teams around the league –the (Atlanta) Hawks, the (Golden State) Warriors, the (Los Angeles) Lakers, the (Miami) Heat, maybe the (New York) Knicks –that are sort of thinking to themselves: ‘Do we need to keep all of our stuff and wait for Giannis to maybe become available, whether it’s now or in the summer, when the Bucks can offer him an extension?'” (h/t NBA on Prime’s Zach Lowe)

“The whole league is watching,” Lowe adds. “If they slide any further down the standings… does Giannis push the button now instead of waiting until the summer?”