"The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other moves, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The news comes just hours before the 3 p.m. ET deadline and after several days of fielding trade offers from teams. The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves were among the teams interested in acquiring Antetokounmpo."
"Antetokounmpo could have more influence over his next destination in the summer. He is eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1. Given his player option for the 2027-28 season, it means he has only one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract. Where he wants to sign that extension could dictate the terms of his next deal. The Bucks, however, have not given up complete hope of salvaging the Antetokounmpo era and are now scouring the market for potential upgrades."
"In the first reported move since making their intentions to keep Antetokounmpo known, the Bucks sent Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey to the Phoenix Suns for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis, sources told Charania. Anthony, whom the Bucks signed to a one-year, $13 million deal over the summer, was averaging just 15.1 minutes this season and a career-low 6.7 points. ESPN's Jamal Collier contributed to this report."
Milwaukee will keep Antetokounmpo through the deadline after weeks of fielding and countering trade offers from teams including Golden State, Miami and Minnesota. Antetokounmpo had been open to leaving at the deadline or in the offseason, and he can sign an extension starting Oct. 1; with a player option for 2027-28 he has only one guaranteed year left on his deal, which will affect future negotiations. The Bucks remain interested in preserving the Antetokounmpo era while upgrading the roster, sit 12th in the East trailing the 10th seed by three games, and traded Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey to Phoenix for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis.
Read at ESPN.com
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