Where will Giannis land? A look at the most likely trade destinations

The Milwaukee Bucks have dodged, dipped, ducked, and dove around trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, bending over backwards to appease the Greek Freak, including trading for Damian Lillard and then invoking a stretch-and-waive for Lillard to sign Myles Turner.

None of it worked. Not even couples therapy could remedy the inevitable divorce between Antetokounmpo and the team.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Bucks are listening to offers and Antetokounmpo is "ready for a new home." But will they move Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5 trade deadline or wait until the summer? And where's he most likely to land?

Giannis team after the trade deadline odds

🏀 Check out the full Giannis trade odds on theScore Bet here

The Bucks are the favorite because Antetokounmpo, who's out for the next 4-6 weeks with a calf strain, is still technically on their roster. Milwaukee also doesn't have to trade its two-time MVP before the deadline. It might actually be in the team's best interest to push the dealings into the offseason, where they can evaluate potential suitors' draft picks in 2026 and receive better draft capital in a deal.

For example, the Miami Heat can trade two first-round picks now, but four in the offseason. The New York Knicks have zero non-protected first-round picks to trade now, but will have two in the offseason, according to The Third Apron's Yossi Gozlan.

Antetokounmpo owns all the leverage because of his player option at the end of the 2026-27 season, when he can become a free agent. It's highly unlikely a team would sacrifice substantial draft capital for a one-year rental, which is why it was foolish for the Bucks to attempt to salvage an unsalvageable situation and not trade Antetokounmpo last summer. As of Thursday afternoon, he hasn't explicitly stated his desired destinations.

Any team trading for the superstar will want at least some assurances he's committed for the long term. Theoretically, the Brooklyn Nets could put together an appealing package with a boatload of valuable picks, but why would Antetokounmpo commit to a roster that's just as inept as the one he plays on now?

Even in trade situations, the player holds the power in the modern NBA, not the teams. With that in mind, let's take a look at some reasonable destinations.

New York Knicks

Antetokounmpo has reportedly expressed interest in playing for the Knicks in the past. However, among the teams in contention, New York can't put together the best package due to its limited draft capital. Any deal the Knicks offer will be centered around win-now players such as Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby. Milwaukee should be more interested in valuable future draft picks than veteran players, but could flip those veterans to a third team in return for picks - something that will almost certainly be needed for New York to land Antetokounmpo. It would take Giannis forcing himself to the Big Apple for this move to happen, but we've seen superstars do that on a regular basis throughout the NBA. He would instantly partner with Jalen Brunson to form the league's most dominant duo.

Miami Heat

The earliest first-round picks the Heat can trade right now are in 2030 and 2032, but that might be appealing to the Bucks. The trade package the Thunder received in exchange for Paul George in 2019 is applauded because of how valuable the draft picks eventually became. Miami also has intriguing young players such as Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware, who would likely be included in a deal. The Heat have been mediocre for a few years, but the franchise has shown in the past it's willing to do whatever it takes to acquire a superstar.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks currently own one of the league's most prized assets: the more favorable 2026 first-round pick between the Bucks and Pelicans. Atlanta strikes gold if that pick lands in the top three of a draft featuring three generational prospects. It might behoove Milwaukee to wait until this summer to see where that pick ends up, but the Hawks might not be willing to move it for Antetokounmpo. There's also the question of whether he'd be willing to commit to Atlanta long term given the team's failure to achieve sustained success in recent years. However, pairing the 2021 Finals MVP alongside Jalen Johnson would put the Hawks in the contender circle.

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors can table an intriguing offer featuring Jonathan Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, and up to four first-round picks and three pick swaps in exchange for Antetokounmpo and either Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis. Golden State is reportedly interested in putting a substantial bid on the table to pair Steph Curry with arguably the best player he's ever played with. But it would be a massive risk for the Warriors, whose picks over the next seven years are incredibly valuable considering how the team projects when 37-year-old Curry and 35-year-old Draymond Green hang it up.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more basketball coverage.

US: Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER; Hope is here. Call (800)-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support (MA); Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

ON: Please play responsibly. 19+. ON only. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call ConnexOntario 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600. Text us at 247247 or chat with us at www.connexontario.ca.