Despite reports about discussions between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks regarding his future, the two-time NBA MVP said he is not a part of any of that.
Talking to reporters on Thursday as he continues to recover from a right calf strain which has sidelined him since early this month, Antetokounmpo made it clear he is not involved in trade talks.
“If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he’s his own person. He can have any conversation he wants,” Antetokounmpo told reporters prior to Milwaukee’s 111-105 loss to the visiting Toronto Raptors on Thursday. “At the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I’m still locked in, locked in on my teammates, most importantly locked in on me getting back healthy.”
ESPN reported Dec. 3 that Antetokounmpo, 31, and his agent Alex Saratsis were having conversations with the Bucks and whether the star wants to stay with the organization that drafted him 15th overall in 2013 or if he desires a trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
The Bucks have failed to make it back to the Eastern Conference finals since winning the 2021 NBA championship. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each of the past three years.
Milwaukee is currently 11-17 and in 11th place in the conference, the first spot out of play-in position. Since an 8-5 start, the Bucks have lost 12 of 15 games.
Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season, has missed the past five games. The Bucks have gone 1-4 without him. Coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo’s timeline to return likely would be closer to four weeks.
While not admitting he is exploring the possibility of a trade, Antetokounmpo made it clear he doesn’t believe the reports are having an impact in the locker room.
“It doesn’t affect my work,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t affect my relationship with my teammates, it doesn’t affect my relationship with my coach. It doesn’t affect my relationship with the GM. So, it doesn’t really bother me because they know what I’m about. … Right now, we cannot be worrying about what the (reports) are.
“Talking about (reports) and headlines, but at the end of the day we’re fighting for our lives. We’ve got to win a game.”
