The Milwaukee Bucks (24-31 record) will be facing the Miami Heat (31-27 record) on Tuesday night in the NBA. Milwaukee is currently in 11th in the Eastern Conference this season and it appears as if they are on the verge of not making the playoffs this season.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has not played since January 23 against the Denver Nuggets. Milwaukee shut him down before the NBA trade deadline and many people were wondering if he was going to be traded or not. He was not traded and is still with the team for now.
Antetokounmpo has been dealing with a calf injury. Is he close to returning anytime soon for Milwaukee or no?
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo Still Out on Tuesday
CBSsports.com reported the latest update with the Bucks superstar. They said about Antetokounmpo's status for Tuesday night against Miami, "Antetokounmpo (calf) is out for Tuesday's game against Miami. The All-Star forward remains without a definitive timetable for a return due to a left calf strain, which has kept him out since late January. In Antetokounmpo's stead, Kyle Kuzma should continue to start at power forward."
With him not projected to be available any time soon, many people are wondering if he is even going to return this season. The Bucks are not going to make the playoffs anyways. Milwaukee might be better off shutting him down for the rest of the season. They need to protect Antetokounmpo from getting injured even further because he will have trade value this offseason.
In 30 games with the Bucks, he has averaged 28.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.7 BPG, and 0.9 SPG. Antetokounmpo is also shooting 64.5% from the field. If he does not return this season, Antetokounmpo will be under contract for the 2026-27 season with a player option for the 2027-28 season. A lot of Bucks fans are eager to see the return of the 31-year-old superstar at some point.