Another NBA Trade Deadline has come and passed. Once again, it featured a handful of surprising switches and shakeups that are sure to make the second half of the season more exciting.
But while the unexpected moves are what make the Trade Deadline one of the most highly anticipated parts of the season, there are also fans who look forward to it to see if the big move everyone is anticipating finally happens.
Take, for example, the case of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks .
As early as the start of the season, many speculated that Giannis and the Bucks would likely part ways by the midseason deadline. The rumblings of an imminent split grew even louder when the Bucks began to struggle. By the latter part of January, many believed that it was already a foregone conclusion that the two-time MVP would end the season on a different team.
As the deadline grew closer, insiders and analysts reported that teams supposedly interested in discussing potential packages were putting together packages. Was he going to the Warriors to team up with Stephen Curry ? Was he going to be the Miami Heat 's newest franchise star? Could he go to Cleveland to form a new big three with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden?
But with hours left before the deadline, it was finally reported that Antetokounmpo would remain with the Bucks for the rest of the season, much to the chagrin of fans who wanted to see a change and of the teams hoping to land The Greek Freak.
One analyst and insider who wasn't too thrilled with Antetokounmpo staying put was Bill Simmons, who took to his podcast to let his feelings be known.
"Giannis, what are you doing? Get out of dodge! You haven't had a meaningful playoff moment since 2022," Simmons said on the most recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. "You took an entire Olympic cycle of Playoffs that you've wasted, and you could have changed it this year, and all you had to do was say 'I demand a trade. I've run my course, I'm out. Please trade me, I'd like to go."
Since winning the title in 2021, the Bucks haven't had much postseason success. They lost to the Celtics in seven games in 2022, as Simmons alluded to, and then have been bounced out of the first round in the last three seasons.
The Bucks have also since dismantled the title-winning 2021 core, having shipped out key pieces like Khris Middleton , Jrue Holiday , and Brooke Lopez.
This season, the Bucks are in real danger of actually missing the postseason, as they're currently sitting at 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-29 record. What's more is that Antetokounmpo is expected to miss around two to four weeks with a right calf strain, which doesn't bode well for the Bucks' standing.
"He kind of half-assed, passive-aggressived it, I think he's in a worse spot now. He just lost another postseason," Simmons added. "He could have been back in time for April; he could have been back in time with a really good team, and I think he had enough leverage with them that he could have bullied them, I think, a little bit. He gave them the title, now it's time to go. And you just wasted another postseason."
As Simmons mentioned, Antetokounmpo didn't really aggressively pursue a trade out of Milwaukee. Now, he and the team will have a lot to talk about come the off-season, especially if they do miss the playoffs or get sent home early for the fourth-straight year.
Giannis himself said he wants to remain a Buck , which now puts the pressure on the team to once again build a contender around him.
The 31-year-old is already an NBA Champion, a two-time MVP, a nine-time All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA and he likely still has a couple of years left at his peak, something that the Bucks need to make the most of.
Right now, even if Antetokounmpo is putting up All-NBA level numbers, the Bucks aren't looking like a playoff team, much less a championship team. If they remain mediocre next season, Giannis might end up asking out anyway.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
