Giannis Antetokounmpo offered a short but fitting reaction to the latest blockbuster trade to shake up the NBA, with the Milwaukee Bucks joining most of the league in the offseason already.
The Phoenix Suns agreed to trade 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets on June 22.
Presumably in reaction to the news, Antetokounmpo posted, “Oh Oh,” on X.
Antetokounmpo’s own trade saga with the Bucks was believed to be a potential impediment to a Durant trade getting done. But the Suns were resolute to move on from the two-time NBA champion before the 2025 draft.
“The expectation persists that Durant will ultimately reach the trade market this offseason,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote in an intel dump from March, “but it might not happen until there is clarity on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will be staying in Milwaukee or seeking a trade of his own.”
Perhaps, now, there is even more clarity on where the Bucks should and do stand.
Bucks Have Even More Reason Not to Trade Giannis Antetokounmpo
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks prays before Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The Bucks have not shown any desire to move on from the two-time MVP, Antetokounmpo. Moreover, the going price of aging stars could deter them even further.
Antetokounmpo’s personal accolades – which include nine All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections, and five All-Defensive First Team nods – make his trade value complex enough, but he is also starting a three-year, $176.4 million contract extension.
Those kinds of deals can severely hinder teams under the current CBA.
That is part of why what the Suns received for Durant – Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the No. 10 pick in 2025, and several second-rounders – is less than they gave up for him in 2023.
Then, the Suns traded Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and four first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks also received Jae Crowder from the Suns while giving up George Hill, Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka, and a slew of seconds to the Indiana Pacers in that deal.
Another factor is Durant’s durability, or lack thereof, as he heads for his age-37 season.
Atetokounmpo does not have the same level of concerns. That is even as he heads for his 31st birthday in December. That gives the Bucks even more reason to hold on to him.
Coaches & Teammates Weigh In on Giannis Antetokounmpo
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Indiana Pacers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs.
If there were any doubts about where the Bucks stand on Antetokounmpo, head coach Doc Rivers made his position clear.
“I don’t know how many more times Giannis has to say he wants to be a Buck, and he wants to win a title [as] a Buck,” Rivers told Bill Simmons on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on June 17. “It’s so cool to me, because it’s not the way it’s done anymore. But with certain guys – I don’t think Steph Curry would ever leave Golden State. Ever. And I’m hoping, obviously, Giannis is the same way. That’s the way he’s been so far, and it’s been great. It’s been awesome.”
Rivers’s hopes for Antetokounmpo may be bolstered by Bucks forward Bobby Portis’ faith.
“I just think that, ultimately, when you’ve been on a team for a decade-plus, and when you’ve done so much for a city – lowkey, basketball in Milwaukee wasn’t like a thing until Giannis became who he was for real, right? So, when you put that much effort into a franchise, that much trust and belief, and being loyal for so long, like I said, man, it always go back to the point of me saying that I just feel like he bleeds green man no matter what’s reported, no matter what might come to the threshold,” Portis told the panel on “Run It Back” on June 16.
“So, me personally? Nah, man. I don’t really see any movement, see anything happening, man. I think he’s staying put with the Bucks. That’s just my personal opinion.”
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