Antetokounmpo is entering the beginning of a three-year contract extension he signed in 2023, worth $175 million. The final year of that deal is a player option, meaning he is signed for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, and can begin pressuring the Bucks to trade him if he so chooses.

Durant's name has swirled through the rumor mill for a while now, much to his initial surprise. When Phoenix cut ties with former coach Mike Budenolzer upon completion of its colossally disappointing (and wildly expensive) campaign, ESPN's Shams Charania relayed that the club "is expected to engage in trade discussions involving Durant."