The Milwaukee Bucks are running out of time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the sidelines with a right calf strain that will keep him out an estimated two to four weeks, his second lower-body issue in the last month after a groin strain. Even before the injury, the two-time MVP had quietly opened the door to a different future: he and his agent have begun formal conversations with the Bucks about whether his best fit is staying or requesting a move elsewhere, with a resolution expected in the coming weeks before the February 5 trade deadline. That is no longer background noise, but a clock ticking over the entire franchise.
On the floor, things look just as shaky. After Saturday night’s 124-112 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Bucks dropped to 10-15 on the season and have now lost 10 of their last 12 games. Kevin Porter Jr. poured in 32 points to keep them competitive, but the same issues keep showing up: porous defense, inconsistent half-court offense, and a roster that looks nowhere near the level of a supposed contender. Without Giannis, the Bucks are 1-5 this year and 2-6 in games he can’t finish, and the floor feels even lower now that he’s out again.
All of that is happening while Giannis is still playing at an MVP level when available: 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists on elite efficiency in 17 games. Yet the Bucks are wasting those nights in the standings. Off the court, he’s scrubbed most Bucks references from his social media and allowed the speculation to breathe while his camp and the front office “assess whether his best fit is staying or a move elsewhere.” If the slide continues and the roster stays as is, it’s not hard to see where this is headed.
That’s why the Bucks are now firmly in desperation territory. Standing pat isn’t just about punting on this season; it’s about daring Giannis to decide he’s seen enough and formally ask out in the coming weeks. If they want any chance of saving this year and convincing their superstar to stay, the Bucks have to explore aggressive, uncomfortable trades right now. Here are three desperate moves they at least have to put on the table.
1. LaMelo Ball Gives The Bucks A Post-Giannis Safety Net
Proposed Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, 2026 first-round pick swap (ATL swap rights), 2031 first-round pick (lottery protected)
For the Bucks, this is a panic button that doubles as a long-term hedge. The Damian Lillard gamble was a disaster and never delivered the contender they hoped for. The Bucks are stuck and hovering near the bottom of the East playoff picture, while Giannis is out roughly a month. If Giannis eventually decides he wants out, being left with an aging core and no future star is the nightmare. LaMelo Ball at least gives them a young offensive engine to build around, with or without Giannis.
Ball isn’t perfect, but the upside is obvious. This season, he’s averaging 19.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists for a 7-16 Hornets team, while shooting 38.4% from the field and 28.5% from three. The efficiency and ankle issues are real concerns, yet at 24 years old on the first year of a five-year max that pays him $37.9 million this season, he fits the timeline of any soft reset the Milwaukee Bucks might have to make if Giannis ever pushes for a trade.
On the Hornets’ side, there’s already smoke about frustration on both ends. Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported that Ball has grown “increasingly frustrated” with the franchise and is open to a trade, while Charlotte’s front office is reportedly “disillusioned” with committing to him as their long-term centerpiece. Ball publicly clowned the rumor with a clown emoji and said he loves being in Charlotte, but the fact that these conversations are even happening tells you the situation is fragile.
If the Bucks crumble without Giannis, that 2026 swap plus a 2031 first could age really well for the Hornets, potentially turning into extra lottery-level bites at the apple. They also add Kuzma as a scoring forward on a playoff-caliber contract and Portis as a high-energy big who can either stick as a vet or be flipped again. For Charlotte, moving off Ball’s riskier max for multiple starters and future picks is a clean way to pivot toward building around Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and whatever those Bucks picks become.
2. Tyler Herro Comes Home As Giannis’ Wing Man
Proposed Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Tyler Herro
Miami Heat Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Harris, 2027 first-round pick swap (NOP swap rights)
For the Bucks, this is a swing at giving Giannis Antetokounmpo the Devin Booker–style partner he’s never really had, and doing it with a hometown kid. Tyler Herro was born in Milwaukee and starred at Whitnall High School in nearby Greenfield before becoming a lottery pick and All-Star in Miami. Sliding him next to Giannis creates a clean two-man game: a pull-up sniper who can handle primary creation, and a downhill freight train who lives at the rim.
When he’s on the floor, Herro is that kind of scorer. In a tiny early-season sample, he’s putting up 23.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on absurd 52.4% shooting and 48.4% from three. Last year, he averaged 23.9 points and 5.5 assists and made his first All-Star team. The contract is heavy: four years, up to $130 million, roughly $31 million this season, and the ankle/foot history is real, but if the Bucks are trying to convince Giannis to stay, adding a 25-year-old elite shooter and off-the-dribble scorer from Wisconsin is a pretty loud gesture.
For the Miami Heat, this is about leaning into what they’ve already proven. Before Herro even returned from ankle surgery, they were 11-6 and sitting third in the East behind Norman Powell’s 25-points-per-night eruption and a deep, switchy rotation. They’re now 14-10 and seventh in the conference. Moving Herro’s $30-plus-million number for three high-end role players fits perfectly with how Miami likes to build.
Kuzma gives them a 6’9 scorer who can slide between both forward spots and soak up touches that used to be Herro’s. Kevin Porter Jr. becomes the bench microwave, replicating some of Herro’s on-ball shot creation at a lower cost, while Gary Harris adds another low-usage 3-and-D guard Erik Spoelstra will actually trust in playoff minutes. The 2027 pick swap is the quiet upside: if the Bucks slide in the next couple of years or Giannis eventually forces his way out, Miami could be swapping into a much higher spot.
For the Bucks, this is a bet that a Herro–Giannis two-man game is potent enough to stabilize the offense now and still makes sense if Giannis stays long term. For the Heat, it’s cashing out an injury-prone star for more depth, more flexibility, and a future draft chip; classic Miami.
3. DeMar DeRozan As Pure Panic Mode
Proposed Trade Details
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: DeMar DeRozan
Sacramento Kings Receive: Kyle Kuzma, 2026 first-round pick swap, 2026 second-round pick
This is the kind of trade you make when logic has already left the building. DeMar DeRozan is not the clean fit next to Antetokounmpo. He’s 36, lives in the midrange, doesn’t space the floor, and isn’t the defender he once was. But that’s exactly why this deal screams “desperate Bucks trying anything to shake the room.”
DeRozan is still productive on paper. With Sacramento this season, he’s averaging 17.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds, shooting 49.8% from the field but barely over 0.8 attempts from three, living at the elbows and on tough pull-ups. He’s still a closer, still a guy who can get to his spots late in games and draw fouls, but he’s no longer the type of star who can drag a team up the standings by himself. Plugging that version of DeRozan next to Giannis probably clogs the paint more than it opens it, and defensively, it doesn’t fix any of the Bucks’ issues on the perimeter.
And yet… You can absolutely picture the front office talking themselves into it. “We need another shot creator with Giannis hurt. We need somebody who can get us a bucket when the offense dies.” In that frame of mind, sacrificing Kuzma and a pair of 2026 picks for a name, any name, stops being crazy and starts being “we have to do something before Giannis loses patience.”
Then there’s the bonus panic button: Chris Paul. Once he becomes trade-eligible or if the Los Angeles Clippers move him for cash considerations or waive him after December 15, the Bucks could easily talk themselves into adding CP3 on a minimum deal. At 40, he’s not a savior, but as a 20-minute-a-night organizer who can actually run an offense, he’d be the final layer of “we’re throwing every veteran we can find at this problem and hoping something sticks.”
Put it together, and you get the purest desperation timeline imaginable: Giannis, an aging DeRozan spamming midrange jumpers, and Chris Paul trying to steer the ship for as long as his hamstrings hold up. It’s not pretty, it’s not forward-thinking, and it probably doesn’t fix much, but if the Bucks spiral continues, you can’t completely rule out a move that chaotic.
