Over the summer, the Milwaukee Bucks had talks with the New York Knicks about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. It was the first time that Antetokounmpo allowed another team to call about possibly moving him.
No trade materialized, and Antetokounmpo remained on the roster for the start of the season. New York believes they are a title contender without Antetokounmpo, so they didn’t want to break up the core of their team. The Bucks, rightfully so, would demand a king’s ransom in return for him.
Tuesday night saw the first matchup between these two teams since those events transpired over the summer. Antetokounmpo had a monster game, recording 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. He also had a very strong message for the Knicks during Milwaukee’s win.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Professes His Love for Milwaukee
During the game, Antetokounmpo led a comeback against the Knicks. During one particular strong stretch of play, he screamed, “This is my city!” while New York called a timeout.
After the game, Antetokounmpo had some strong comments about the report that he was considering a trade for the Knicks, strongly denying them.
“Who said that? I’m here representing my team. And that’s it. We beat the Knicks.”
That wasn’t the only comment he made following the game, as Antetokounmpo made it clear that he is moving past everything that happened during the summer. His work on the court has shown that he is clearly focused on the basketball on the court and not the rumors off it.
With this victory over the Knicks, the Bucks improved to 3-1 on the season. While Myles Turner hasn’t shot the ball well on the offensive end of the ball yet, his fit next to Antetokounmpo seems to have made a massive difference on the defensive end.
The Bucks Have Supported Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo has gotten a lot of support from his teammates during these rumors. In an interview with ESPN Milwaukee over the summer, Bobby Portis believed that the team didn’t need to make drastic changes, saying that injuries kept them from winning titles.
“I mean, what’s wrong with our team? Why can’t we do it this year? The only thing wrong with us is people being hurt.”
So far, the Bucks look like a team that has a shot to win the Eastern Conference. They needed to get out to a good start, and they have done that. Antetokounmpo made it pretty clear with his comments during this game against the Knicks that he won’t be leaving at the trade deadline.
Without those distractions, the Bucks should be able to build more chemistry and continue to play at a high level. Turner will shoot better as the season goes on, and they might look to make a move at the trade deadline to help improve the backcourt.
The Bucks trading Khris Middleton last season was about maximizing their future, and so far Horst looks vindicated with that move. Antekounmpo proved how much he loves the city of Milwaukee, which should lessen the distractions this season.
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