Giannis Antetokounmpo broke his silence about his future with a witty retort to his Milwaukee Bucks teammate Bobby Portis‘ claim that the two-time NBA MVP isn’t likely to leave.
“Don’t worry about me! What are NBA
NBAyou doing, Bobby? You staying or leaving 😂?!” Antetokoummpo commented on Portis’ “Run It Back” interview.
On Friday, Portis claimed that Antetokounmpo “bleeds green” and doesn’t see him seeking a trade out of Milwaukee this summer, even after their third straight first-round exit and a dire future with Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury.
“I just think, man, that Giannis bleeds green, though,” Portis said. “I think he believes in loyalty and wanting that. Tim Duncan, Kobe [Bryant], Steph Curry-type of career, where they play with one franchise.
“Obviously, it sounds really, really good that Giannis leaves and goes to another team. But, like, realistically, if you trade for him, just looking at the business side, he’s gonna make, what, $58, $60 million? I mean, you gotta trade your whole team, right? You’ve got to change your whole team, and then [after] being able to get him, you still have to put players around him to compete for a championship, right? So this, like whoever [team], if you do make a move, you might be in the same position that the Bucks are in.”
Antetokounmpo is due for $54 million next season, eating up 35% of any team’s cap room. Any team who would trade for him will likely have to give up a lot of player with midsize contracts or another star in the same salary slot.
Meanwhile, Portis has $13.4 million player options, which he has to decide on by June 29.
Giannis Linked to Major NBA Markets
Antetokounmpo has been linked to major NBA cities as trade rumors continue to swirl following the Milwaukee Bucks‘ third straight first-round exit.
The Ringer’s Howard Beck dropped the latest rumor surrounding Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future in Milwaukee on “The Zach Lowe Show” podcast on Tuesday.
“I poked around a little bit a few days ago and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities: One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market,” Howard said. “I think they threw Chicago in there, I can’t remember if Houston came up. It should. So first is like, where does Giannis want to go and do they honor that? Because again, back to Damian Lillard, you’re not obligated to honor it.”
What Major NBA Markets Have to Offer
The Lakers are looking for a lob partner for Luka Dončić but they do not have enough draft capital.
The Knicks can swap Karl-Anthony Towns but they can be an inside-outside frontcourt tandem and instead offer OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson but they are also short on draft capital. Across the river, Antetokounmpo is the Brooklyn Nets‘ Plan A, according to a New York Post report, but they do not have players that may excite the Bucks. They have rich draft capital though to kickstart rebuild in Milwaukee if the Bucks choose that route.
Miami had just lost Jimmy Butler. The Bulls lack a franchise star. The Rockets are the most intriguing team of the bunch after pushing the Butler-Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors to the brink in the first round. They have the combination of young up-and-coming players and draft picks to make a compelling trade package for Antetokounmpo.
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