The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t going to disrupt a championship-winning formula by considering a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix.
Mannix entertained some options with Antetokounmpo’s long-term future in Milwaukee a little murky, reporting that “there are teams very closely monitoring the situation.”
The Thunder apparently aren’t one of those teams as the NBA insider said, “I’ve been explicitly told that Oklahoma City has no interest.”
From the moment OKC traded stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook in 2019, fans expected general manager Sam Presti to do something big. Presti kept adding to his trove of draft picks in subsequent years, and the Thunder could probably out-bid almost any other franchise in a head-to-head battle.
That’s notable when the speculation around Antetokounmpo continues despite the fact he’s set to open the 2025-26 season with the Bucks. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday on NBA Today that “there has been an expectation for quite some time that Giannis’ days in Milwaukee, one way or another, are numbered.”
All things being equal, the Bucks would probably prefer to send Antetokounmpo to Oklahoma City because they’d maximize their return.
Granted, it’s even more difficult for a team to trade away a superstar and get anything close to fair value back thanks to the current collective bargaining agreement.
LeBron James’ agent hinted not-so-subtly the Los Angeles Lakers star might be open to a trade this summer, only to discover there was almost no market for him whatsoever. Contenders didn’t have the salary cap space or motivation to take on his $52.6 million payout.
Antetokounmpo makes $54.1 million this coming season and then $58.5 million in 2026-27 before he’s eligible for free agency. His contract won’t scare general managers off entirely but will demand some deliberation over how much of the current roster you’re willing to sacrifice in a swap.
Giannis’ next deal would be a factor as well, and that’s what might give Presti the most pause.
The Thunder have already signed homegrown stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams to big extensions. By the 2030-31 season, Holmgren and Williams alone will combine to make almost $110 million. That’s also when Gilgeous-Alexander can opt out and sign for more than his player option ($75.4 million).
Even if Oklahoma City could acquire Antetokounmpo at a relative bargain, the overall cost would be massive.
In the short and long terms, the Thunder are set up as well as any NBA team can be at the moment. It makes sense that a Giannis trade isn’t really on Presti’s mind right now.
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