The Milwaukee Bucks have been no strangers to blockbuster deals, but they don’t take every chance they get.
Throughout Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career, the Bucks have done everything they can to not only keep him happy but also to help build a championship team. Each time the Bucks have felt pressure from Antetokounmpo, the team has made a big deal.
From acquiring Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard in the past to Tuesday’s surprise signing of Myles Turner, the Bucks have always been ready to pull the trigger on a big deal. However, Milwaukee doesn’t always have the blessing of its superstar.
Antetokounmpo typically allows the Bucks’ front office to work without his input. However, former teammate John Henson recently said on SiriusXM that there was one instance where he rejected a potential blockbuster.
"There was a trade…Khris Middleton for Jimmy Butler swap – Giannis was like ‘nah we’re not doing that’ – that was only time I ever saw him stand up and say something.”
While Henson didn’t reveal exactly when this trade offer popped up, it likely would have been sometime from 2017-19, given Henson’s time in Milwaukee and Butler’s public trade demands.
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Perhaps, Butler knew about Antetokounmpo’s rejection of the trade, considering his performances against the Bucks since. While the Bucks got the best of Butler’s Miami Heat in 2021 on a championship run, they lost to Butler’s squad in 2020 and 2023 in upsets.
Although the Bucks wouldn’t change anything because they won a title with Middleton, it’s still hard not to imagine what the league might have looked like if Antetokounmpo and Butler joined forces.
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