Appearing on NBA TV’s broadcast of the team’s Summer League game against the Clippers on Sunday, Bucks president Peter Feigin was asked for his two cents on where the organization stands with Giannis Antetokounmpo and what the relationship looks like moving forward.
“We kind of laugh internally, it’s where we’ve been for 10 years,” Feigin said (Twitter video link; hat tip to Bleacher Report). “Giannis loves Milwaukee, Milwaukee loves Giannis. We’re in a good place. We feel great about it. It’s business as usual.
“I think we get kind of a fun little joy in everybody else thinking they know what’s going on and what the clickbait is, but for us, we’re in a good spot. Giannis is in a good place. He’s enjoying the summer, and we’re looking forward to next season.”
Antetokounmpo’s future has been one of the most popular subjects of speculation this offseason on the heels of a third consecutive first-round playoff exit for the Bucks and a Damian Lillard Achilles tear.
However, while rival clubs have been monitoring the situation closely in the hopes that Giannis will ask for a trade, that hasn’t happened. In fact, Milwaukee has moved aggressively this summer in an effort to maintain a roster capable of contending without Lillard and longtime starting center Brook Lopez, who left in free agency for the Clippers.
The Bucks re-signed several of their own free agents, including Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and Taurean Prince, reached agreements to bring in new role players like Gary Harris and Cole Anthony, and made the most surprising free agent addition of the NBA offseason when they landed Myles Turner on a four-year, $109MM deal.
While Antetokounmpo hasn’t entirely shut down the speculation by making any definitive statements about his future, most teams have gone about their business this summer as if the two-time MVP won’t be seeking a change of scenery in the short term. For his part, Giannis suggested last week that he’ll “probably” be in Milwaukee going forward. Feigin’s remarks on Sunday point in that direction too.
The NBA wants Giannis out of Milwaukee and has enlisted its cadre of media clods to parrot a narrative that he wants out. Never trust the media. Ever.
Those indeed are words to live by, twentyforty – especially in this age. I do admit I sometimes get caught up in NBA trade speculation, especially (there’s that word again…let’s limit it to two mentions in this comment) when it comes to the GS Dubs. Now…unless maybe Joe Lacob or our own Luke Adams emphatically states there is no possible way for Giannis to suit up in blue and yellow alongside Steph this fall, I’m gonna CONTINUE to hold out hope there’s still a chance the dream of mine, which is going on 6 years now, will somehow happen. Once Lacob or Adams negate the possibility OR when in October we officially see Giannis continuing to wear green and white will I only then be resolved to the fact the dream may never happen….until next February, perhaps.
Just to reiterate: three or four teams would need to be involved. I don’t know who would be going where, but the Dubs would have to concede at the very least….KUMINGA, DRAYMOND, MOODY (over Hield), quite possibly POST, perhaps one of their two-way players who saw NBA action last season (Knox? Spencer?), and I’m guessing some combination of 4-5 draft picks. And if AJ Green could also be included in the blockbuster as part of the Dubs’ return, well……that would just be gravy on the icing (if that makes any sense at all).
Maybe it happens, but rather than Giannis in blue and gold, Steph is wearing green and white.
Giannis is not going to teh warriors. That would be no different than him staying with the Bucks. Warriors would need to send Butler which doesn’t make the Bucks any better. Please stop saying he is going to the warriors.
C’mon, arc89. I said it’s a DREAM of mine. I don’t own a crystal ball.
Dvaey wore out the dream for the last 3 years saying he is coing to teh warriors. Bucks can get a lot more better players and draft picks than what the warriors would give up. Guiannis would get way more than Durant did. Bucks are not going to give him a favor and trade him to where he wants to go.
So when owners claim to want players for life then have them dealt away(Blake, Jimmy Butler, Cousins, Luka) etc where is this same energy?
All of those examples suck Blake and cousins were traded because their franchises were about to start to undergo long rebuilds, jimmy forced his way out, and mark cuban wasnt in control of the mavs and had no idea about the Luka trade
“The NBA wants…” “never trust…” “touch grass…”
I mean I think he could convince Beal to join if bought out too…
East v West. Starting position regardless of Milk or LAC. Probably have the ball more in his hand sans Harden.
Beal’s said several times that it’s about his family. If Milwaukee were a whole lot warmer and a whole lot closer to Phoenix he might be able convince Beal to play for the Bucks.
Does Beal care at all about winning? I mean like really care. I just don’t see why people think he’s valuable, even on a cheap contract. He’s talented but if I had to rate him on passion, determination, grit, etc….0/10
Beal belongs on one team…Utah!
Obviously Beal cares about winning. He just prioritizes more important things like family. If he didn’t he’d still be in DC. He signed a contract with a no trade clause so he could stay. He finally gave in due to media and fan pressure when he had an opportunity to team up with Durant and Booker and try to win in Phoenix.
I never thought beal was a bad guy I think the media tried to make it seem like he was a toxic player and part of the reason why the suns failed
It was mat ishbia and the GM’s fault for pairing him without a true PG so it was a horrible fit
My rankings
Top 4
Cavs – run the same, #1 in standing
Knicks – Clarkson and Yebusele
Celtics – Brown and White are still good
Magic – Bane
Bottom 4
Pistons – Jaden Ivey returning.
Hawks- added KP and NAW.
Bucks – Added Myles Turner
76ers – Return of Embiid
So, which teams are 2nd round playoffs teams?
Solid list
I think ALL those teams could go to the 2nd Rd
*Mil will be interesting to monitor at the trade deadline, they are essentially outta slots currently but have 20+ mill to the tax at the deadline – Can take on a lotta extra cash at deadline but with Kuzma 22 M and Bobby P 14 M and nobody else above 5 M and only 1 FIRST RD pick how well can they spin that up?
Id bet pretty well, but they gotta search the whole league and ONLY get 1 last dagger shot at it all working
They could look a lot better 2nd half and come playoffs if they float the first half well enough
I wouldn’t write off teh heat because they have a strong young core. Pacers still know how to win so never write them off. Celtics would go to bottom 4 .
Hawks and magic and 76ers are underrated on this list since their time is now to win the east
Celtics miss the playoffs as a 9 or 10 seed and Milwaukee barely gets in but gets demolished in the 1st round but besides that the list is good
Don’t forget the raptors!
At what point is he protesting too loudly? Writing off a good chunk of a team’s payroll space for next 5 years in order to sign a free agent is not business as usual. Not for MIL, and not for any other team in the waive and stretch era.
To be clear, I never thought that GA would ask for a trade this off sesaon, or that MIL would intiate one. Premature. But under the circumstances (GA’s statements about the team’s offseason, the w&s/Turner transaction and the continued need for an extension by next offseson), it’s certainly a legitimate question to ask where things stand. I don’t think laughing it off should inspire confidence.
Could be true. Laughter often stems from nervousness and as your post eluded to that is already present
If I was given 50/50 odds on G beginning the 27/28 season a Buck Id lay some wood on Not. But I gotta respect the pursuit Mil has made thus far , pretty admirable, I hope Im wrong
I’m with you. Small pile of wood on NOT.
I’d give it less than a 50% chance to keep him past that point. But I still think MIL is doing the right thing. IMO, year to year is better for them than accelerating the post-Giannis era. I don’t think they can afford to have his contract expire on their books, but until it’s clear that’s the only alternative, I’m holding him and trying to win.
What’s wrong with what the Bucks did? Who cares that they have some dead cap down the road, this is going to become the new norm in the NBA, just like in other leagues with hard caps like the NFL. Honestly, if Giannis is gone, what are they going to do with that cap space? Overpay a bunch of journeymen? The Nets are in one of the largest markets, they had something like $40 million in cap space and did nothing with it.
The Bucks maintained way more flexibility by making this move, they are way under the first apron, so they can actually be players in FA the next few years while Giannis is around. Otherwise all their marbles were in the basket of 36 year old Dame coming off an achilles injury, with no opportunity to improve.
Once Giannis is gone, the Bucks are going to be trash again, so who really cares if they have some dead cap 5 years from now? No one will want to sign there anyways.
I dont think it will become the new norm at all. It actually makes less sense this CBA to waive and stretch than years past and theres less bad contracts than ever in the NBA today by cap%
Mil was a very unique situation where it made sense. Your points stand with Mil but nobody around the league is looking into getting into the stretch business w/out having a knife to throat (or possibly just incompetency *Ishbia pending)
You go search Knicks news. And there are 4-5 Giannis to Knicks rumors. Just never stops. Love to have him. Bucks would be idiots to trade him to Knicks.
Spurs and Rockets had the most to offer. Now Rockets are out. Yet the Knicks rumors keep going. Comic relief……. Bucks made some shrewd moves. And this team is a playoff team. If Anthony at 25yrs old shows out. They can be a top 4 team in East. Bucks add a player at TD. And anything can happen lols ….
I thought Bucks were done. Nice bounce back …,
It’s not happening… Giannis even said he doesn’t want to play in New York and it might be because of taxes
But assuming what he said on Kai cenats stream isn’t true then what would the Knicks give up for him? No one wants KAT now because he doesn’t play defense anymore and they don’t have any draft capital
The bucks are not going to trade Giannis. He’s the most popular player in franchise history. End of story.
All things considered, adding Myles Turner, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris and bringing back Taurean Prince is not a bad offseason. Plus retained Bobby Portis and Gary Trent.
If they can move Kuzma – terrible fit because he’s, like… uh… not a SF – Bucks can be competitive.
East is up for grabs and Giannis is still the best player in the Eastern Conference.