The latest reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ongoing trade saga is disappointing for anyone craving maximum deadline fireworks.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported earlier this week that offers for the two-time MVP were “underwhelming”, while Jon Krawczynski noted “healthy skepticism” around the league that Antetokounmpo would be on the move by Feb. 5.

The Milwaukee Bucks shouldn’t care about letting down any fans, teams or new-breakers rooting for trade chaos—or for a merciful end to the league’s latest “will they, won’t they” breakup.

That’s because patience could offer the greatest payoff.

Nothing to Lose

The main downside to keeping Giannis through the deadline is obvious. It could prevent suitors from getting two potential postseason runs out of Antetokounmpo (who can opt out of his deal after 2026-27), which may diminish potential offers.

Counterpoint: Antetokounmpo’s current calf injury should make buyers hesitant to assume they’ll get the best version of him this spring. What’s more, anyone swinging a deal for Antetokounmpo should have a very strong inclination that he intends to either pick up that option for 2027-28 or sign an extension.

The idea that Giannis is going to be a short-term rental has always felt a little silly. So it’s a pretty big leap to argue that waiting to trade him until the offseason is sure to reduce the value of incoming offers.

Let’s shoot down a couple more manufactured reasons urging a pre-deadline move.

In situations like this, teams are often right to be concerned about awkwardness or bad blood making an already tough situation tougher. But how could things in Milwaukee get any messier down the stretch of this season than they already are? Antetokounmpo will just continue offering new versions of “I want to be here, BUT…” soundbites, and no one will fault the Bucks for holding a hard line until Giannis makes a firm trade demand. Which he won’t.

Sure, there’s also a risk of Antetokounmpo recovering from his calf injury quickly, coming back and playing well enough to devalue Milwaukee’s 2026 first-round pick. But it’s far more likely that all parties act cautiously, knowing that another injury could prevent or delay the divorce everyone wants. Assuming the Bucks continue to lose about 80 percent of the games they play without Antetokounmpo, they’ll be far enough out of the Play-In mix by the time he’s available to justify a shutdown.

Upsides Abound

The offseason is sure to come with more trade suitors and better offers.

Would-be contenders that lose in the playoffs will concede they need a major upgrade. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets that aren’t among the current inner-circle trade candidates could reconsider that position over the summer. More interested trade partners means more competition, which should improve the offers pouring into Milwaukee.

At the very least, the Bucks should be able to do better than “underwhelmed”.

Don’t forget about several teams that are currently interested but can’t put together good offers without decimating their rotations or reeling in third and fourth teams to find the draft picks Milwaukee wants.

The Miami Heat can offer two first-rounders ahead of the deadline, but they could include their own 2026 first-rounder on draft night, upping the total to three. The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves can also juice their offers in hypothetical draft-night deals in which they use their 2026 selections to choose someone for the Bucks and send that player along with their 2033 first-rounders.

Let’s not forget the Los Angeles Lakers, who can only trade one first-rounder right now but could put three firsts on the table this offseason. They’re among the teams that might want to wait and try to sign Giannis in free agency, but they’re also an example of a squad whose offering power will improve enough in the offseason to go from bystander to legitimate suitor.

Patience Is a Virtue

The Bucks have gone pretty far down the road in their trade talks if they’re offering counters. Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green is talking like someone who knows there’s at least a decent chance he’ll be involved in a deal. We should probably read those facts as an indication that Milwaukee is doing its due diligence. It won’t be impossible for them to get sufficient value out of a pre-deadline Giannis trade, but when did “sufficient” become an acceptable bar for moving a franchise icon?

It’s understandable if Milwaukee wants this saga to be over, but it can’t let fatigue have too much influence on its decision-making. And as far as “doing right” by Antetokounmpo goes, the Bucks’ ledger is filled with black. They’ve made win-now trade after win-now trade to keep him happy, mortgaging the future every time he starts hinting he might explore other locales.

If the Bucks drag their feet for a few more months, they’ve earned the right. On the trade demand front, Antetokounmpo has been dragging his for years.

It’s hard to come out ahead when trading the most important player in franchise history, especially one who still happens to perform like an MVP whenever healthy. But Milwaukee can come much closer to winning the trade if it waits until the offseason.