The Giannis Antetokounmpo saga in Milwaukee has now reached its tipping point, as it's been confirmed that he wants out. Will the Utah Jazz get in on this? Probably not, but Antetokounmpo's impending departure from the Bucks should inspire come curiosity from the Jazz, as the two-time MVP once brought up the notion of joining forces with Lauri Markkanen.
Sports Illustrated's Art Cummings brought this up shortly after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo wanted out.
Feels like the perfect time to post this Giannis Antetokounmpo quote about Lauri Markkanen:
— Art Cummings (@ArtTakesNote) January 28, 2026
“He’s going to be one of the main guys in the next couple of years that will probably be dominating the league. So it’s great to watch him play and maybe in the future, we are teammates.”
Before anyone asks, yes, Giannis actually said this. He said this almost three years ago, when Markkanen was in the midst of his breakout season, to The Deseret News' Joe Coles. It makes sense, as Antetokounmpo and Markkanen are commonly considered two of the very best foreign players currently in the NBA and of all-time.
More importantly, pairing them up would make for some beautiful basketball. On paper, Markkanen would fit next to Antetokounmpo like a glove. Not only would he take pressure off as a complementary shot creator, but he would be a floor-spacing big man that open up the lane for the Bucks star.
There is a strong argument that Markkanen and Antetokounmpo would fit better together than with any other NBA players they've ever played with. The prospect of them becoming teammates could give the Jazz their best duo since Karl Malone and John Stockton.
Pairing up Antetokounmpo and Markkanen will be tricky
Utah has a better package to offer now than they did last year because they have more exciting young talent to dangle, but making a play at Giannis would require gutting the roster. To even make a deal plausible, Jusuf Nurkic, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and Kevin Love would all have to be on the table, and that's just to match salaries.
Milwaukee will want picks along with some combination of Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Walker Kessler. Utah could try to take them down, but whether they can do that successfully or not, Utah would be giving up a lot for a potential rental.
Quite a risk given who Antetokounmpo's preferences are.
Giannis Antetokounmpo preferred trade destinations are the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors, per @DALHoopsJournal
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 28, 2026
(https://t.co/k2QkecMORt) pic.twitter.com/ZbLqzyqTp3
But then again, maybe the Jazz can use both Antetokounmpo's previous interest in Markkanen along with their potential unstoppability as a duo to convince him to stick around. It would be a bit a tough sell because Utah is in a pretty bad state currently this season, but it's Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If only Giannis had asked out in 2024, back when Markkanen was cheaper and Antetokounmpo's deal was longer, this would have been a deal too easy not to pass up.