Before Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury Friday night, momentum had been building toward a potential trade of the Bucks star before the February 5 deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Antetokounmpo said two weeks ago that requesting a trade is “not in my nature,” and team officials have indicated that they plan to approach the deadline as buyers in hopes of upgrading their roster. However, Fischer states that the Bucks’ poor performance since then has led to “whispers circulating throughout the league” that an Antetokounmpo deal was becoming m0re realistic.
Milwaukee has dropped five of its last six and is currently two-and-a-half games away from the final play-in spot at 18-26. After falling Wednesday to Oklahoma City, Antetokounmpo said his team was playing “selfish” basketball, and ESPN’s Shams Charania stated during a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show that Giannis’ frustration level is at “an all-time high.”
Those comments have echoed throughout the league, according to Fischer, who hears from rival team officials and a few well-placed sources that speculation surrounding Antetokounmpo is the number one topic as the deadline approaches, far ahead of potential trades involving Ja Morant, Anthony Davis or Michael Porter Jr.
The impact of Antetokounmpo’s injury, which could sideline him for four-to-six weeks, was still being assessed at mid-day Saturday, Fischer adds. It’s not certain if his absence will lessen the offers Milwaukee gets heading into the deadline or if teams will be willing to strike now in hopes that he’ll be fully recovered after the All-Star break.
Regardless, Fischer cites a growing consensus that the Bucks and their best player are headed toward parting ways, with one source telling him, “This is shaping up to be a draft-day kind of thing.”
In the wake of the injury, Fischer expects Milwaukee to abandon its stated plan of aggressively trying to add talent on the trade market. League sources tell Fischer that the Bucks weren’t making much headway with deals centered around Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, especially with few draft assets to offer. He notes that Porter, Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Jerami Grant and Miles Bridges are among the players who have been reported as possible trade targets.
Teams are also reluctant to help the Bucks improve when they might benefit from an eventual Antetokounmpo trade, Fischer adds. Among those teams is Portland, which owns draft picks from Milwaukee in 2028, 2029 and 2030 that could be useful in helping to facilitate a deal sending Antetokounmpo to another team. Fischer states that the Trail Blazers have long been fans of Mikal Bridges and could be incentivized to help the Knicks land Antetokounmpo if they’re able to get Bridges in return.
And what city does Klutch want Giannis in Shams? Lols.
I’m wondering how serious Sixers will be on this. They have a young players and some intriguing assets(clippers). Morey loves star hunting
Being that the Sixers are allergic to winning titles, I don’t see Giannis requesting a trade there. Curry and Golden State on the other hand….
If they trade him it will be where he wants to go.
Something centred around
Towns and og for Giannis and turner
Bucks can’t rebuild unless half their return for Giannis is their own picks back
Of course POR is interested in Mikal Bridges. They want to put the curse to the test.
Eye rollingly obvious
Sports media’s daily mental calisthenics on Giannis. This season has been so dry with content the speculation has it’s own lore. Eventually the people will tune out.
Normally I would 100% agree with you. But the writing is on the wall now. The only questions left are can Giannis stay healthy enough to help his next team? Which team? and did the Bucks wait too long?
Point in case… Giannis wants to stay, management wants him to stay, the fans want him to stay… you can’t talk a trade into existance no matter how many ways you print a story on every quote.
They can talk a trade into existence. They did it with Dame, they did it with Beal. Neither wanted to leave and both of their respective teams and fans were on board with them staying. The media kept up the pressure and both eventually asked for trades.
You assume that Giannis, raised in Greece, is going to do the same as these Americans.
Nobody should be watching this garbage anyway.
OK, this notion (a deal before the deadline) is clearly coming from the team, not Giannis. MIL is likely (becoming) afraid to wait until the summer, even though it will be easier (less complicated) to get a deal done then. The return may be less if Giannis isn’t willing to extend with the team trading for him. Can’t say they’re wrong.
Show me a legit package that beats this, keeping in mind the Giannis trade will likely feature multiple teams:
GSW gives up: Kuminga+Green+Hield+3 FRP+up to 3 Pick Swaps
GSW gets: Giannis+Thanasis
Who beats that GSW package?
The Knicks
The suns
The heat
Spurs
I can keep going.
Sorry it ain’t happening!
Provide the packages, don’t just say team names – do the work.
Spurs have already said they aren’t interested in Giannis.
The Heat, Suns and Knicks cannot defeat the Warriors best package.
Porzingis, kennard, okongwu, Zach R, the coveted first round swap (bucks pick basically) and another 1st (or 2) for The Greek freak and kuzma. They can tank, gain cap space, add 2 good players and a top rookie. ATL has stars JJ and Giannis with a solid depth plus cap space to sign
One more difference maker.
Hawks aren’t stupid enough to give up those #1s
Get on with it already jeez
after the bucks trade giannis. the only mention of the bucks will be where is the team relocating to
Continually saying that it’s not in your nature to ask for a deal is code for “I want to be traded, but don’t want to look like the bad guy here”.
With his age and the injuries this season, I was starting to question his long term health. Looked at his career though, and he’s consistently played 65-70 games a year. I guess it feels like it’s worse than that because of the playoff injuries.
Bucks Management needs to realize that upgrading the roster with the trade assets they have at their disposal is going to be much more difficult than dealing Giannis and beginning a rebuild. If they can get a package like the one the Spurs could offer (Barnes, Sochan, Keldon and two 1st’s), it’s probably time for the Giannis era to end in Milwaukee.
What’s funny is this is turning him into the bad guy. He’s getting booed at home. The Bucks fans aren’t dumb. I’m sure they appreciate the championship and all he’s done and understand why he wants out. But this pathetic way he’s going about it makes it all annoying and over complicated. He needs to walk into the GM’s office like a man and just be honest and request a trade at this point.
He’s not being booed. The team is being booed. Because they’re bad, especially when Giannis doesn’t play. And he’s hurt.
“Continually saying that it’s not in your nature to ask for a deal is code for ‘I want to be traded, but don’t want to look like the bad guy here’.”
Lots of mental gymnastics here. I continue to be amazed how everyone just thinks Giannis is lying through his teeth or not being honest. You just don’t trust him because you want him to be traded.
“Bucks Management needs to realize that upgrading the roster with the trade assets they have at their disposal is going to be much more difficult than dealing Giannis and beginning a rebuild.”
They have multiple future firsts now and will have another this summer. They have two young guards teams want. Like many in the media, you are not bothering to actually LOOK at their assets and see that they actually have a fair bit to offer. They could easily pull off another Dame-level trade this summer.
“If they can get a package like the one the Spurs could offer (Barnes, Sochan, Keldon and two 1st’s), it’s probably time for the Giannis era to end in Milwaukee.”
What a horrible package. Less than Memphis got for Bane.
When he ends up requesting a trade before the deadline or in the offseason keep telling us how wrong we are.
move those goal posts around!!!
Hoping Miami offers anything Milwaukee wants for Giannis. Except Bam. Bam and Giannis would be one the best defense front courts of all time..
However I have a feeling Milwaukee may seek to trade Giannis out West and if they’re smart they’d do just that.
Why trade him West?
Once he is out, MIL will stink the place out for years to come and quite possibly decades to come, so it won’t matter where he goes, right?
Lakers? 😆
Lakers? Come on, they’re not the Dodgers, they can’t land every star player! 😄
Trade Kuzma, Porter Jr, Rollins, Harris, Trent, Prince and all their picks for a starting PG, SG and a SF if possible. Ages 28-30
Don’t trade your star player who won you your 2nd NBA title. Don’t trade Giannis!!!!!!! Don’t do it!!!! Why rebuild when you will never see another Giannis in a draft again
This isn’t gonna drive down the asking price at all. The only thing that will do that is him demanding a specific location.
Wait, the Bucks weren’t making headway on improving their roster with a deal centered around Kuzma and/or Portis? Stop the press, how could that be?
What rival teams believe about a situation with a player they have no contact with, and them continually being rebuffed when they try to trade for him, is not news. If you read Fischer’s piece, it is all speculation.
Shams also is just parroting what teams tell him because they want him saying this to apply pressure onto Giannis. Shams has no connection to Giannis and Giannis has publicly expressed his disdain for Shams several times.
Giannis says he wouldn’t ask for a trade publicly, and the Bucks have consistently said they would not trade him. This is not news. Give it a rest.
Let the wishful thinking accelerate!
As a Greek I can confirm that Gianni’s eyebrows are demanding a trade.
His hands are also very disappointed in Milwaukee’s management.