Giannis Antetokounmpo is not happy about the Bucks waiving Damian Lillard.
The superstar was “not pleased” with Milwaukee’s decision to waive Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner, NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported Tuesday on X.
“He just didn’t like how it was handled,” Haynes added during a Tuesday appearance on NBA TV.
Earlier Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks would be waiving Lillard and stretching the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five seasons in order to sign Turner, the longtime Pacer, to a four-year, $107 million deal.
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Antetokounmpo’s apparent frustration with the Bucks comes amid widespread speculation over his future with the franchise.
On May 12, Charania reported that Antetokounmpo was “open-minded” about exploring whether his best long-term fit was in Milwaukee or somewhere else.
Monday night, Charania added: “It’s still wait and see. Giannis Antetokounmpo was open-minded about whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or elsewhere. I have not felt a shift from that mentality.”
It remains to be seen how the waiving of Lillard could impact Antetokounmpo’s future with the franchise.
Lillard is set to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles injury he suffered in the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to the Pacers.
Milwaukee acquired Lillard from the Trail Blazers in a blockbuster, three-team trade with the Suns in September 2023, giving up Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, a 2029 first-rounder and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
On paper, the superstar pairing of Lillard and Antetokounmpo was one of the best in the NBA, but the duo never yielded the results the Bucks had hoped.
After earning the third seed in 2024, the Bucks lost to the Pacers in the first round with both Lillard and Antetokounmpo battling through respective injuries.
A similar situation played out in 2025. Milwaukee captured the fifth seed and suffered its first-round loss to the Pacers after Lillard suffered his Achilles injury in Game 4.