Rivers says Bucks won't shut down Antetokounmpo for season and will play him when he's healthy

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers reiterated Friday that the Bucks have no plans to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season, though the two-time MVP's return date from a calf strain remains uncertain.

Rivers spoke on the issue during the Bucks' pregame availability a day after the trade deadline passed with Antetokounmpo remaining in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo's future had been the center of attention across the league in the weeks leading up to the deadline.

''He's going to play when he's healthy,'' Rivers said before the Bucks' 105-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers. ''We've just got to make sure he's healthy. He's getting close. He's working out. He looks good. I would say hopefully sooner than later.''

The Bucks, who are 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, potentially could help their draft status by continuing to rest Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee will pick either in its own spot or in New Orleans' spot in the first round, depending on which spot is less favorable.

Milwaukee is 15-15 with Antetokounmpo and 6-14 without him.

Antetokounmpo hasn't played since straining his right calf on Jan. 23. Antetokounmpo said the night of the injury that he expected to be told he would miss four to six weeks, though the Bucks haven't specified any timetable.

Whether Antetokounmpo is playing or not, his mere presence after the trade deadline lifted the spirits of the Bucks. They'd been dealing pretty much all season with reports that their star player was on the way out.

Milwaukee responded Friday by winning a third straight game for the first time all season.

As the deadline passed, Antetokounmpo issued a social media post with the message: ''Legends don't chase. They attract,'' accompanying a meme of the scene from the movie ''The Wolf of Wall Street'' in which Leonardo DiCaprio's character repeatedly yells, ''I'm not leaving."

Bucks forward Bobby Portis said Antetokounmpo also had texted him a deer emoji and a 100 sign on Thursday.

''I think it was a relief,'' Rivers said. ''I thought Giannis' tweet was a unifying thing for all the players as well.''

Rivers had been steadfast throughout the season in saying the speculation surrounding Antetokounmpo's potential exit was overblown.

It's not really over, though. The uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo's future has just been pushed back a bit.

Antetokounmpo could remain with the Bucks for just a few more months or for years to come.

He becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. Antetokounmpo has one year remaining on the three-year, $186 million extension he signed in 2023, though he also has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Antetokounmpo repeatedly has said he loves playing in Milwaukee, but he also has talked about how much he wants to play on a team that's committed to competing for championships. He led the Bucks to their first title in half a century in 2021.

Milwaukee has made plenty of moves designed at lengthening its championship window over the last few years, yet the Bucks have lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Their slow start this season has put their streak of nine straight playoff berths in serious jeopardy.

Horst has done it before.

Antetokounmpo signed one contract extension in 2020 after the Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday, a move that sparked Milwaukee to its 2021 championship. He signed another extension in 2023 after the Bucks made another blockbuster move to bring Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.

Horst showed his willingness to be creative in overhauling Milwaukee's roster last summer, when he waived the injured Lillard and stretched out the remaining money the Bucks owed him over the next five seasons to gain the cap flexibility to sign Myles Turner.

Horst now faces a similar challenge keeping Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, as the 31-year-old superstar's future figures to become a dominant storyline again once the offseason arrives.

''Being on a team with Giannis all these years, it's like an every-year thing,'' Portis said. ''You've just got to prepare for it. As soon as May comes, if our season ends and whenever it does, it's coming right back. There ain't nothing you can run from, for real. It's just what comes with it. It's off for now, but to be determined later, I guess. The rumors, the narratives, the whatever it is, it's non-stop.''