There have been plenty of rumors regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo 's future with the Milwaukee Bucks being unable to follow through on their 2021 NBA championship. Some say this could be his final season in "Deer District" after it was learned that the Bucks discussed a possible Giannis trade with the New York Knicks this past summer.
However, everything is just speculation. What's certain, though, is that with mere days to go before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Greek Freak is locked in and focused on leading the Bucks this year.
"We're not the favorites, but we're going to be a problem. We're going to be dangerous. The team is set up in a way that is very, very dangerous," he said during the Bucks' annual open practice session at the Fiserv Forum on Sunday. "We have a lot of shooting. We have a lot of playmakers and ball-handlers. We have a lot of defenders. We can switch. We have an incredible big that can space the floor and be a problem defensively."
After losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles injury during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, many thought that this season was going to be a giveaway for the Bucks. However, team management got bold and creative as they waived Lillard using the stretch provision, allowing them to have enough cap space to lure Myles Turner away from the 2025 Eastern Conference champions, the Indiana Pacers .
Aside from Turner, the Bucks also added veterans Cole Anthony , Gary Harris , and Kevin Porter Jr. They also re-signed AJ Green , Ryan Hollins , Gary Trent Jr. , and Bobby Portis to give Antetokounmpo a supporting cast that may not be star-studded but is solid enough to, as Giannis said, cause problems for the league's top teams. Now all they have to do is avoid getting hurt and stick with Doc Rivers' game plan.
"We are set up exactly how you need to set up to make a statement. Now, our goal is Wednesday. After that, stay healthy. And after that, get to the playoffs, be in the playoffs, win a playoff series," he added.
According to top Las Vegas sportsbook BetMGM , the Bucks only have a 1.8 percent implied probability to win the 2026 NBA championship. That's the 15th-best odds among the league's 30 teams. However, with the injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton , the Eastern Conference is a wide-open race. Because of that, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas believes Milwaukee has a real chance to at least make it to the Eastern Conference Finals .
"You have the Knicks and Cleveland going to be the top dogs right now. I'm not sold on Orlando…but the Bucks, with the lineup, with the roster, that they have with veterans, young guys, 1v1 players, flat-out shooters, Sixth Man…they have a full team of guys that can put the ball in the basket and defend," Arenas said .
"I wouldn't be surprised if they're in the Eastern Conference (Finals). I mean, the way the landscape is…Miami, they're not there like that. Boston? They're not there like that. The team that ran them out of the building, Indiana? They're not healthy…on paper, they (Bucks) should be Top 3," he added.
You can say what you want about Giannis and his future, but there's no question that the man is locked in, and he also has the right attitude. Antetokounmpo didn't say his team would win it all this year, but just stated that they need to stay healthy and make the playoffs. Once there, it's anybody's ball game, and with a star like the Greek Freak who's been there before, it's hard to count out the Bucks right now, at least in the East.
Related: Brian Windhorst: "The league is preparing for the end of Giannis' tenure in Milwaukee"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
