Giannis Antetokounmpo has once again quelled speculation about his future, making it clear he has no intention of leaving Milwaukee now or ever.
“There will never be an opportunity, there will never be a moment where I step up and say, 'I want a trade,'” Antetokounmpo told The Athletic after the Bucks lost 120-113 to the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN. “That's not who I am.”
With the trade deadline approaching and news that the Milwaukee Bucks are out of the playoff picture, Antetokounmpo is doubling down on his stance on the team that drafted him.
“My plan is to spend the rest of my career here,” he said. “If they don't need me…I'm not in charge. I'm just an employee.”
He added, “I'm not going anywhere. I'm invested in this team. I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to stay healthy. I want to help my teammates. I want to win games. We're 4-2 in the last six games. We've got a lot of games ahead of us. I'm locked in. I'm locked in. My No. 1 priority is staying healthy.”
According to ESPN, the Bucks did not engage with rivals last month about a potential trade involving their superstar, instead focusing on how to improve the roster around him.
Still, Milwaukee has had an uneven start to the season and the outside noise continues.
Antetokounmpo, who turned 31 in December, missed 14 games due to injury and averaged 29.5 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Even with those numbers, the Bucks are still hovering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, heightening his sense of urgency.
Trade discussions intensified this summer after ESPN reported discussions between Milwaukee and New York, with the Knicks emerging as a potential landing spot.
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