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This time feels different. Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam has plainly said that either Giannis Antetokounmpo will be moved by the draft or the franchise will keep building around him, which would require a different set of moves. But throughout conversations with sources during the Finals, it appears Milwaukee has a new level of motivation to find a deal. And the rest of the league is waiting to see what will happen. "It seems like everyone else's business is on hold until we see what happens with Giannis," an East scout said.
Tim Bontemps: In the wake of Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam's comments at coach Taylor Jenkins' introductory news conference earlier this month, it seems like the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga could finally get some clarity between now and the draft. And, after years of "will they, won't they," the growing belief around the league is that this time an Antetokoumpo trade will actually happen. "It just feels like they're done with the circus, more than anything," an East executive said. "They seem to want a clean break and to move on."
The Bucks engaged in Antetokounmpo trade talks before the February deadline as the franchise cornerstone believed for a period of months that the time had come to part ways. They now will again after co-owner Jimmy Haslam stated a resolution is coming before the draft on June 23 and 24. Nothing has changed in Antetokounmpo's stance that the time has come for both sides to move on, sources said.
But Jenkins did acknowledge the looming decision on which direction the team is going to take with – or without – Antetokounmpo was a key point in the hours long discussions he had with co-owners Haslam and Wes Edens, as well as Horst. “It’s a big one,” Haslam said of the decision over the future of its franchise cornerstone. “It’s a big one. And you gotta get it right. And Jon knows it and Wes knows it. And we didn’t hold back with Taylor. We just said, listen, he may or may not be with us, so don’t come because of that because you want to be straight up with people.”
Jimmy Haslam says they are going to make a decision on Giannis' future before the NBA Draft and stresses that communication has been good between them despite what some "ESPN" writers say. pic.twitter.com/yx0QMhPiLh
— Karley Marotta (@Karley_Marotta) May 6, 2026
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The Milwaukee Bucks have registered serious interest in Taylor Jenkins to be their next head coach, league sources tell The Athletic. Team owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam and general manager Jon Horst made their way to Memphis, where the former Grizzlies head coach still resides with his family, early last week to discuss their head coach opening and a vision for the future with Jenkins in Milwaukee, those sources said.
Multiple league sources said Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alex Saratsis took it a step further in pursuit of an amicable split. In late January, two weeks before the deadline, they met with team owners Jimmy Haslam and Wes Edens about how the Bucks should "do right" by Antetokounmpo. The player and agent recalled a handshake agreement that ownership and high-ranking officials made to trade him collaboratively should the time come, after Antetokounmpo signed contract extensions with the organization in 2020 and 2023.
Those who have done business with the Bucks, including teams that inquired about Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline, told ESPN that Haslam was more involved in decisions than before. One team owner even had direct negotiations with Haslam rather than Edens about a potential deal for Antetokounmpo, multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN. "We mostly dealt with [GM Jon] Horst," an executive with one of the teams that heavily engaged with the Bucks told ESPN. "But our impression was that Jimmy was really the one who would decide this."
Milwaukee Bucks co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam told ESPN in a joint 90-minute interview that they will decide the path to take with their two-time MVP together, and the most important factor will be whether Giannis Antetokounmpo signs the four-year, $275 million extension he is eligible to receive on Oct. 1. "Giannis is going into the last year [of his contract]," said Edens, the team's controlling owner until April 2028. "So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he'll be traded." "The likelihood you'll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can't afford that. It's not consistent with what's good for the organization. That's not a Giannis issue. That's any player that's in their last year."
Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam told ESPN this setup has worked well since Haslam purchased a 25% stake in the team from Marc Lasry in 2023. "The Jimmy partnership is unbelievably good," Edens said. "And that's really, really important because ... the likelihood is, just given the season we just had, the things we've got in front of us, we've got to make some hard decisions, and it'd be great to make hard decisions with somebody who you really like and trust." As Edens' term as controlling owner wanes, however, there are strong indications that Haslam's power within the organization is growing.
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Shams Charania: Right now, the Bucks, their executives, their ownership, they're sorting through and they're sifting through trying to figure out is there an aggressive offer so far from one of these teams that have interest, Miami, New York, Minnesota, Golden State, is there an offer that rises to their threshold? And Jimmy Haslam, the Bucks owner, he said yesterday at a Browns press conference that this is what it's always been with the Bucks. What's best for Giannis Antetokounmpo? What's best for Milwaukee? We're going to figure it out. And does an offer and what value reaches that threshold? My understanding is Giannis is ready for a move whether it's now or in the off season. But there's been such a major difference in conversations going on in Milwaukee right now. On one hand, you're discussing Giannis trades and offers. On the other hand, my understanding is they're canvasing the league for potential cash deals and exchanging minimum salaries and talking about draft assets. So, what is that signal about their approach? The entire NBA is waiting because Giannis is the biggest domino whether it's right now or in the summer.
The Cleveland Browns introduced a new head coach, Todd Monken, earlier today. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is also a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, spoke with media members following today's introductory press conference and briefly addressed the prospect of the Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. "Giannis is a top three, top four player in the world," Haslam said. "He brought Milwaukee its first championship in 50 years several years ago, and he's a really good person too. He's no problem. He's a great leader, tries hard. "And I think Giannis and the Bucks — and I think this goes back before we were involved — have always worked closely to see what's best for Giannis and what's best for the Bucks, and we'll continue to do so. "
The Cleveland Browns introduced a new head coach, Todd Monken, earlier today. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is also a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, spoke with media members following today's introductory press conference and briefly addressed the prospect of the Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. "Giannis is a top three, top four player in the world," Haslam said. "He brought Milwaukee its first championship in 50 years several years ago, and he's a really good person too. He's no problem. He's a great leader, tries hard. "And I think Giannis and the Bucks — and I think this goes back before we were involved — have always worked closely to see what's best for Giannis and what's best for the Bucks, and we'll continue to do so. " While that doesn't give fans much insight into which way the Bucks might be leaning 48 hours before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Haslam was also asked a follow-up question: What does a successful trade for Antetokounmpo look like, if there is one? "That's a question for (general manager) Jon Horst," Haslam replied.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst is known to hold a close relationship with Budenholzer, having hired him to the position in 2018 and then collaborating for the organization’s first title in 50 seasons. There was no tangible discussion, sources said, on Budenholzer’s footing before the series with Miami unlike in past playoffs. And according to multiple league figures with knowledge of the situation, former Milwaukee owner Marc Lasry, who sold his 25% stake in the franchise to Jimmy Haslam in April, was a leading voice behind heating Budenholzer’s seat during that 2021 postseason run. Lasry later revealed to The Athletic he approached Budenholzer in the locker room following the Bucks’ 125-86 loss to Brooklyn in Game 2 of those Eastern Conference semifinals.