The Wizards may have changed the NBA trade landscape by breaking Giannis Antetokounmpo

WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Wizards they weren’t supposed to cause a seismic shift in the NBA this season, but their home victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday it may have caused one.

The Wizards entered the game 2-16 and were without second-year center Alex Sarr (adductor), No. 6 overall draft pick Tre Johnson (hip) and veteran guard Corey Kispert (thumb), who are averaging 39.5 points this season. In addition, Sarr is Washington’s leading scorer (19.6 points per game), rebounder (8.6 per game) and shot blocker (two per game), but the Bucks still lost 129-126 despite having all of their key players in the rotation.

Milwaukee dropped to 9-13 after the loss, and Antetokounmpo was not happy. The two-time NBA MVP entered the Bucks’ locker room at least half an hour after veteran guard Kevin Porter Jr., who scored a game-high 30 points (12-15 FG, 5-6 3-point), spoke to the media. While a superstar taking time out before a post-game interview is common, what happened next was anything but.

Antetokounmpo was arguably Milwaukee’s second talking point, as he finished second on the team with 26 points (10-17 FG, 0-1 3-pointer) and led with seven rebounds. However, the former NBA champion waved his finger at Bucks public relations officials after he got out of the shower, signaling he wasn’t ready to talk. He then sat down with a towel on his head, looking at the floor before getting dressed and leaving, all with a dejected expression on his face.

Only Antetokounmpo knows what was going through his mind at that moment, but he cleaned up his social media accounts of all Bucks-related content the next morning, according to Complex Sports. Then, a the latest report has arrived on Wednesday afternoon, via ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Just in: Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratzis, have begun talks with the Milwaukee Bucks about the future of the two-time NBA MVP — and whether he’s best off staying or elsewhere, sources tell ESPN,” he said. “A solution is expected in the coming weeks.”

Antetokounmpo already thinking about leaving Milwaukee before, but this time is different, according to Charani.

“During the offseason, Antetokounmpo explored outside options and was open to playing for one team outside of Milwaukee — the New York Knicks — as a potential trade,” he reported. “Sources described it as an exclusive negotiating period for the Knicks during a multi-week period in August, but that will not be the case going forward.”

“One would expect multiple teams to emerge as suitors for the nine-time All-Star if a trade is explored,” he continued.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst then follows on “NBA Today.”

“Giannis will instruct the Bucks where he wants to be traded, and then the Bucks will try to make the best possible deal with that team,” he explained. “And this already happened, Shems reported this a few months ago. You can say whatever you want about whether he ‘requested’ or ‘requested’ or ‘hinted’ but he basically said ‘I want to be a Knick. Can you make me a Knick?’ And they talked for several days. Those talks didn’t progress, so they were abandoned and he reported to (Bucks) camp.”

While Monday’s loss in Washington wasn’t the beginning of this saga, that game may have been the turning point for Antetokounmpo.

The Wizards gave Giannis Antetokounmpo a reality check

The sequence of events suggests that Antetokounmpo has come to grips with a sobering reality: If Milwaukee can’t beat one of the NBA’s worst teams despite having an injury advantage, there’s little chance they’ll be contending for a title anytime soon.

Anything is possible on any given night, but this was no coincidence. The Bucks have lost seven of their last eight games and are 1-5 this year without Antetokounmpo. Furthermore, the nine-time All-Star didn’t have his best outing, as he had five turnovers and fouled out on Bilal Coulibaly and a dunk with 5.4 seconds left. Milwaukee still needed to beat Washington, but couldn’t get the job done without a flawless performance from the future Hall of Famer.

Perhaps it was extra painful to witness Wizards forward Khris Middletonwho was Antetokounmpo’s Robin Batman on the Bucks’ 2020-21 championship team, scored eight points in the final four minutes. That included a go-ahead 3-pointer with 52.9 seconds left that gave Washington a lead it never relinquished.

Regardless, Antetokounmpo’s days in Milwaukee appear to be numbered. If the 30-year-old gets a deal before February’s NBA trade deadline, it will be the most important trade in the league since Dallas The Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for the package Anthony Davis highlighted last February.

Antetokounmpo is as prolific as ever, ranking fourth in the NBA with 30.6 points per game, seventh with 63.9 percent shooting from the field, fifth with 10.7 rebounds and 17th with 6.4 assists before the Bucks’ home matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. A contending team acquiring him in the coming weeks would be the biggest story of the season, as it would change the league’s balance of power and send the Bucks into a full rebuild.

Additionally, Antetokounmpo is under contract until his $62.7 million player option 2027 (per Spotrac), so whichever organization gets him by the deadline would have at least two chances to win a title with him.

Meanwhile, the Wizards remain focused on rebuilding as they look to keep their top eight protected lottery picks next summer, and their upset win over the Bucks was a reminder of what they’re capable of. This time, their positive night had unexpected consequences that could define an entire NBA season.