For about two weeks now, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo have had the attention of the entire NBA. Once the reporting broke that Antetokounmpo was unhappy with the Bucks and the organization’s inability to find him help, the trade rumors began to swirl.
Despite that, Antetokounmpo has remained a Buck, sidelined by a calf injury. In a press conference to talk about his injury and give an update on his possible return, reporters understandably had to ask him about the trade rumors.
Antetokounmpo used that time to share his side of things. He started by saying, “If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he is his own person. He can have any conversation he wants about it. But at the end of the day, I don’t work for my agent, he works for me.” Antetokounmpo even mentioned that if his agent were to have “conversations” with other teams and executives, it is “something you can’t control.”
Finally, Antetokounmpo stated that he “personally” has not had any conversations with the Bucks. However, he followed that by saying, “I am still locked in. Locked in on my teammates. Most importantly, locked in on me getting back healthy.”
What Are the Recent Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo with the ball.
Ever since the news broke that Antetokounmpo was unhappy with the Bucks, just about every team has been linked to rumors, trying to acquire him. Which makes sense. Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP and is still playing at that level.
Antetokounmpo has only played in 17 games this season, averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. Despite that, the Bucks are 9-8 with him on the court. But what might have led to Antetokounmpo’s discontent is that the Bucks are 2-8 without him.
When naming teams rumored to be trying to acquire Antetokounmpo, it might be easier to name the teams that are not trying to. The usual teams have been mentioned, such as the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat, due to their prime locations and large markets. However, the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks have been mentioned in rumors, along with others.
Even though it is clear that teams are interested in Antetokounmpo, no reports indicate that the Bucks are actively exploring serious trade options. In fact, the opposite might be true. Now at 11-16, the Bucks could be trying to add to their roster to keep Antetokounmpo happy and get back to consistent winning.
How Does an Antetokounmpo Trade Even Look
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo with the ball, getting ready to post up.
Trading for Antetokounmpo will be difficult. The first reason is that Antetokounmpo is in the first year of a three-year $175 million deal. That is going to make things complicated from a cap space perspective. The second is that there are a limited number of teams with the assets to make a legitimate offer to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo.
That is why teams like the Spurs and Hawks have been linked to Antetokounmpo. Both teams have players with contracts to make the money work, as well as young players and draft capital to ease the Bucks’ pain of losing Antetokounmpo. However, the Spurs have fallen out of the race.
That then raises the question of whether Antetokounmpo will even be traded this season. Antetokounmpo finished answering the question about the trade rumors by discussing his teammates and his desire to return to the court. He even said, “As a leader, but most importantly as a winner, just got to be there for them first.”
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