Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have died down in recent weeks, but the two-time MVP hasn’t reached a decision on whether he wants to continue playing for the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania said this morning during an appearance on “Get Up.” (Twitter video link).
“Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said.
There have been past reports that Antetokounmpo might consider leaving Milwaukee to improve his chances of winning at least one more NBA title. Speculation began to grow after the Bucks were eliminated in this first round of this year’s playoffs and star guard Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tear that’s expected to sideline him for all of next season.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst responded by retooling the team’s roster this summer. He waived and stretched the $112.6MM that Lillard had left on his contract for the next two years and used the newfound cap space to sign center Myles Turner away from the Pacers.
Horst also added Gary Harris, Jericho Sims and Cole Anthony in free agency and re-signed several of the team’s own free agents, such as Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince.
The aggressive move with Turner was viewed as an important step toward convincing Antetokounmpo that the Bucks could remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. Although there hasn’t been much trade talk over the last month, Charania insists that Antetokounmpo’s situation hasn’t been resolved.
“There’s been some very real conversations over the last week or so,” Charania said. “The constant question that Giannis has, though, is can I win a championship with this roster? … He wants to win a second championship, so he’s asking that question over and over.”
He added that there are “multiple teams waiting in the wings” to make offers if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out.
I call bull***t. He just doesn’t like Milwaukee and wants to be somewhere warmer and glammier. Nothing to do with championships. It never does.
Nothing to suggest that at all. As contenders, Giannis has been happy. The bucks have also gone way out of their way to make it his team, and keep him happy. His brothers don’t belong in the NBA, but without rostering they wouldn’t have visas to be in the country, as the one not rostered has already been sent back. The bucks even made the horrible trade for lillard to keep Giannis happy. The trade talks only started after they traded away his friend, and it’s become apparent they aren’t contenders anymore, just another maybe team with one star. If he didn’t like Milwaukee he would have already requested a trade and have been dogging the team and city to get out. It happens every time.
No coincidence this resurfaced so soon after the Luka extension!
I’m certain the plan they sold him on to at least buy time if not buy into fully was luka declining to extend with lakers it not working out and Giannis leveraging his friendship with Luka to persuade him to force lakers to trade him in a opt in and trade( like James harden to clippers or cp3 to rockets) to bucks who can trade 3 first rd picks next summer! Delusional pitch and plan but delusion is all they have right now
This is a STRETCH. Giannis and Luka aren’t friends. This has nothing to do with his extension, which didn’t come out of nowhere.
Luka is a one way trash player. No different than lillard.
Man, ESPN has really become unwatchable.
The NBA*
Both are equally acceptable in this case, although I would argue that happened a decade ago.
The Bucks after roster payroll for next year is $148 million ($17 million below the cap), with Lillard’s dead money pushing them to $172 million (they’re $21 million below the first apron).
How can any team be a contender with a $148 million salary payout unless most/all players are on the rookie scale (which none of Buck players are).
If Giannis wants to win another championship his best bet is to wait to next offseason. He will have one year left on his contract (and then player option). That would mean the Bucks can get back less assets for him, giving his new team a better roster to compete.
The CBA was crafted to beat the warriors. The next CBA will revert as the warriors won’t need to be beaten.
Pathetic that the league couldn’t beat them on the court so they made the entire league worse to beat them off the court.
Yes the new CBA was made to beat the aging Warriors core. Had nothing to do with parity being essential to drive up new franchise costs. Get a grip.
Oh well…
All those Giannis wanting teams and their media shills need to give it a rest.
The NBA is a business. This is how they make money. Try to keep up.
On June 11th Giannis tweeted, “Does anyone else miss Woj?” I wonder if he still feels that way.
Give it a rest, Shams. And Hoops Rumors. This is very clearly clickbait. Shams has no actual connection with Giannis or his agency, he’s just promoting a narrative ESPN wants.
You know with the media always putting this out there is only hurting teams who actually try to build around this rumor. They hold back money so they have a chance only causing them from missing out for the present. Watch his movie and actually learn how fiercely loyal he is in his life. Milwaukee made his dreams come true along with paying him so handsomely to get out of poverty. Plus until I hear he is selling his shares in Milwaukee Brewers, I dont see him going anywhere
I completely agree. No decent PG or SG starters on this team. Keep making moves. Trade Green or Trent(same playing style at SG) for a better SG. Kevin Porter and Ryan Rollins need to be traded for a better PG or out of the NBA.
Waive Nance and Bouyea. Sign three young guys on two way contracts. (PG,SG and C)
This team is a mess with criminals at the PG spot (not you Sears) and no SG at all. Gary Harris is dialing it back ?
Waiving Lillard was dumb too. Why not trade him for Ayton and then maybe flip him. Or trading Lillard for Beal
Clickbait.
Embiid and George for Giannis.
Brah, you’d need to throw in the Liberty Bell to even get them to pick up the phone here
I am reminded of the line in Dumb and Dumber when Jim Carrey responds to being told he has a 1 in a million chance of getting together with Mary by saying Yeah, there is a chance!
I’ll bet on Giannis retiring as a Buck.
Journalists will have to find some other fantasy to “report” on.
OUR PETS’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!
Shams “It’s a molehill”
Everyone “Did Shams say mountain?!”
Am I the only one who thinks this actually seems perfectly reasonable. Giannis is getting concerned for reasons obvious to everyone, front office says we got this, the “got this” is named Turner and Giannis still has questions. Like we all do. I don’t think Shams is saying it’s anything more than that here. And that is new info so why are people mad it’s being reported?
Oh are we back to Giannis is leaving ……
FYI Giannis said again he wants to stay in Milwaukee his whole career
link to brewhoop.com
Yeah and not a snowballs chance in hell he goes to California. We’ll ignore that though.
It is disgusting that the league has enlisted its media minions to attempt to hasten Giannis out of Milwaukee. One of the many reasons the NBA is the worst professional sport on the planet.
Milwaukee is the last thing on Giannis mind atm, our national team started training for the eurobasket which is really important to him, as he keeps saying over the years
This roster is not championship group. I don’t blame giannis if he wants to go somewhere greener.
Calling @DaveyJ
Can we please have the updated and definitive odds on Giannis to:
– San Antonio
– Miami
– Warriors
– Knicks
– Clippers
– Lakers
Waive Bouyea, Pete Nance, Kevin Porter and Ryan Rollins
Sign Markelle Fultz, Malcolm Brogdon or Elfrid Payton at the PG spot, sign Malik Beasley to the SG spot, Emoni Bates, Jalen Hood-Schifino or Jazion Gortmen for a young PG and make an offer to the Knicks for the draft rights to the center James N
Kuzma figures it out at the SF spot
If no Emoni Bates then bring their 2nd round pick in the past draft over right now*