Following a back-and-forth on loyalty and the desire to be in a winning situation, not his current one of a record that stands at 18-27, buzz on Giannis Antetokounmpo finally departing the Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise is coming together. It still was not done in the direct, formal manner of a trade request, but Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo feels ready for the next step in his career.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OejatbQjDy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2026
Furthermore, the LA Clippers could easily make themselves one of the top suitors, neck-and-neck with the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks. How? Well, all of their assets have been preserved.
There has been no movement at all in Inglewood, meaning the Bucks have a wide variety to choose from; literally anyone and anything on the Clippers’ roster is available in order to land one of the greatest big men of the 21st century.
Thus, the Clippers’ inactivity was for the perfect moment: Antetokounmpo wanting out. Now that he is ready to leave, Lawrence Frank can begin flashing what LA has, and could have, to offer to the Bucks.
Lawrence Frank must strategize to checkmate all other teams in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo
With multiple championship winners on the roster and a recently broken connection through Brook Lopez, the LA Clippers have the ideal teammates for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the money when he decides the time is right to discuss an extension.
However, Antetokounmpo is a talent unlike any other. He qualifies as generational, suggesting that the Clippers will be among the majority of the league after him. Therefore, Lawrence Frank may have to take the underground route to build a package the Bucks will entertain.
Frank must pick the best offer for James Harden, accept the draft capital on the table for Ivica Zubac, and negotiate the best-value trades on as much of the roster as applicable that are easy successes.
Jrue Holiday is a candidate the Clippers should take a deep look at, as he, like Lopez, won a ring with Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee in 2021.
The Miami Heat and New York Knicks may be able to pull off a one-and-done deal for Antetokounmpo, but the Clippers lost that luxury for a decade in 2019.
That said, the latest news on Antetokounmpo could be exactly why the Clippers have remained put, and also the reason Frank was just extended. He will have to spend hundreds of hours over the next eight days calling, texting, and communicating through various channels to finalize arguably the second-biggest trade of the century.