Giannis Antetokounmpo injury: Bucks star exits game vs. Pistons amid trade rumors

MILWAUKEE — After a full day of trade rumors, there are more immediate concerns about the future of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after he collapsed with a non-contact injury minutes into the team’s 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. The Bucks announced that Antetokounmpo suffered a right calf strain and he did not return to the game. 

Bucks coach Doc Rivers did not have an update on Antetokounmpo’s status after the game, but did say that he thinks the medical staff has “ruled out” an Achilles injury. 

“He’s doing an MRI right now, so we’ll know more hopefully by the end of [Wednesday night],” Rivers said. “I didn’t know what it was. I just wanted the trainers to tend to him. Right when they brought him in they took him to the hospital.” 

Just under three minutes into the first quarter, Antetokounmpo drove along the baseline and found a cutting AJ Green for an easy layup. As he turned to run back up the floor, he suddenly fell and immediately motioned to the bench for help. He remained seated on the floor until Kevin Porter Jr. took a foul to stop play. 

Antetokounmpo was then helped to his feet and was able to walk off the court under his own power. He initially took a seat on the bench, but later made his way to the locker room. Footage from the Bucks’ broadcast showed him walking through the tunnel on his own, but moving very slowly. 

It’s too early to say how long Antetokounmpo may be sidelined, but his initial reaction was concerning. He will need to undergo imaging to fully assess the injury and establish a timeline. Regardless, this is a major blow for a Bucks team that, despite their surprise win Wednesday, is still only 2-5 without their two-time MVP this season and has sunk to 10th place in the Eastern Conference at 10-13. 

Antetokounmpo missed nearly two weeks earlier this season with a left groin strain. He does have a previous history of calf issues. In 2024, he strained the soleus muscle in his left calf just before the end of the regular season and missed the team’s entire first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, which they lost in six games. Last season, he sat out the All-Star Game and missed nearly three weeks with a left calf strain. 

Entering Wednesday, Antetokounmpo was averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 63.9% shooting. He was fourth in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounds and seventh in field goal percentage, and was on pace to average 30/10/5 for the fourth consecutive season (every other player in NBA history combined has eight such seasons). 

Antetokounmpo was well on his way to a 10th consecutive All-Star appearance and eighth consecutive All-NBA First Team honor. A lengthy absence could put both of those streaks in jeopardy. With the league’s new 65-game threshold for major awards, Antetokounmpo would be ineligible for honors such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA if he misses 12 more games. 

Prior to Wednesday’s game, ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent are in the process of discussing his future with the Bucks. A resolution was reportedly expected in the coming weeks, but this injury may disrupt any potential trade talks. 

Bucks coach Doc Rivers refuted the idea that Antetokounmpo has asked out of Milwaukee. 

“Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear,” Rivers said before Wednesday’s game. 

“The thing I keep saying is I go to the source. I talk to the source every single day. Every single day. He loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks,” Rivers continued. “I’ve heard guys say they’ve talked to sources. I talked to the source. If I’ve learned anything in life, the source usually knows.”