Dating back to two offseasons ago, the Milwaukee Bucks have been dreading the day that Giannis Antetokounmpo would eventually request a trade out of Milwaukee.
The writing has seemingly been on the wall for years after the team has struggled to build a contender around their franchise cornerstone.
After back-to-back years of first round exits in the NBA playoffs, the sentiment around the league was that eventually Antetokoumpo would grow impatient and force his way off the Bucks.
Rumors swirled this offseason that the New York Knicks had a window to acquire the superstar player before the Bucks shut down conversations to advance into the season hoping their offseason additions headlined by Myles Turner would be enough to help the Bucks stay alive in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Fast forward to now, Milwaukee finds themselves sitting outside of the playoff picture in December, with a 10-13 record that's only set to get worse following the recent injury to Antetokounmpo suffered during the team's battle with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
The injury came hours after ESPN insider Shams Charania broke the news that Antetokounmpo and his agent had approached the Bucks' front office executives about the star's future in Milwaukee.
Just in: Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis have started conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks about the two-time NBA MVP's future – and discussing whether his best fit is staying or elsewhere, sources tell ESPN. A resolution is expected in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/NfrpL2Ffvr
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2025
Which leads us to the question that brings us all here: are the Wizards to thank for the Bucks' nightmare becoming a reality?
Wizards may have been Giannis Antetokounmpo's final straw
There's no denying that the Washington Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.
Rebuilding or not, losing to Washington has become an all-time low for organizations over the last couple seasons, especially when they're expected to make playoff runs.
For Antetokounmpo, losing to the Wizards may have been the final straw in the Bucks' recent stretch of struggles.
Prior to the loss, the Bucks held a 2-8 record in their previous ten games.
With the Wizards circled on the schedule, Milwaukee hoped to bounce back and put their struggles in the past and return to their winning ways.
Instead, the team found themselves suffering the worst loss of the year which came with former Buck and current Wizard Khris Middleton getting the last laugh against his former team after knocking down a clutch three to seal the win for Washington.
Looking ahead, Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks seems to be in doubt and if he forces his way out of Milwaukee before returning from injury, fans could be left with a sour taste in their mouths.