For 12 years now, the Milwaukee Bucks and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been tied together. Antetokounmpo shepherded the perennially downtrodden Bucks out of the old Bradley Center and into the shiny Fiserv Forum, and eventually to an NBA championship in 2021.
However, there are indications that this chapter may be coming to a close.
Antetokounmpo is willing to seriously entertain a departure from Milwaukee, according to a Monday morning report from Shams Charania of ESPN.
"The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise's third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere," Charania wrote.
Stagnation has been the name of the game for Milwaukee since '21. In 2022, the Boston Celtics outlasted it in the conference semifinals. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, the Bucks lost to the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Pacers again in the first round.
Antetokounmpo's play has remained uniformly excellent, as he has finished third, third and fourth in the last three MVP votes (with this season's yet to be determined).
His current contract is scheduled to take him through 2027 with a $62.7 million player option for 2028, his age-33 season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giannis Antetokounmpo Open to Exploring Potential Fits Outside of Bucks.
