Thanasis Antetokounmpo Leaves Bucks After 6 Seasons, Bids Farewell on Podcast

Q: With a crowded backcourt featuring Tyler Herro and Gary Trent Jr., which Bucks guard will be the next one traded?

Tyler Herro looks like the most likely Bucks guard to be traded next. The strongest reason is roster direction. Milwaukee has shifted into a longer rebuild after moving Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Herro is both one of its most valuable veterans and part of an overcrowded perimeter group that also includes Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and rookie Brayden Burries. Several of the provided reports explicitly point to Herro as a preferred trade candidate before the season, with one noting the Bucks “appear to prefer trading him before the season.” Herro’s profile makes him movable. He is a recent All-Star, still in his prime, and would likely return more meaningful assets than most of Milwaukee’s other guards. That matters for a team that now appears focused on draft capital, flexibility and younger long-term pieces rather than immediate contention. Gary Trent Jr. is less likely to be the next guard moved despite the surprise around his four-year, $64 million contract. Milwaukee just used Bird rights to re-sign him, and moving him immediately after that deal would be more complicated both practically and optically. Caris LeVert, on an expiring contract, is also a plausible trade candidate, but the broader reporting around the Bucks’ backcourt points more directly to Herro. So if Milwaukee trims this crowded guard rotation soon, Herro is the clearest bet.

3 articles · Updated · hoopsrumors.com · Jul 16

Thanasis Antetokounmpo will not return to Milwaukee for the 2026/27 season, ending a six-season run with the Bucks after spending six of the past seven years with the club.
A farewell clip from his “Thanalysis” podcast carried the announcement, with Antetokounmpo thanking Milwaukee and Wisconsin for what they gave his family.
The departure comes as the Bucks continue reshaping their roster, with Gary Trent Jr.’s reported 4-year, $64 million deal drawing league scrutiny over its guarantees.
Milwaukee is also integrating new guard Tyler Herro after its franchise-altering trade, while remaining linked to further sign-and-trade interest in Peyton Watson.