Giannis Says Bucks 'Played Horribly' vs. East's Best Teams as NBA Trade Rumors Emerge

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered a withering assessment of his team's performance against the best teams in the Eastern Conference so far this season.

"We've gotta get our stuff together. It's as simple as that," he said, per ESPN's Chris Herring. "We did not beat Boston. We did not beat the Cavs. We didn't beat the Knicks. Those are the top three teams, and we've played horribly against them."

Those comments came after the Bucks were on the receiving end of a 140-106 shellacking by the New York Knicks. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson torched Milwaukee's backcourt to the tune of 44 points, while big man Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 18 rebounds.

With the loss, Milwaukee is sixth in the East at 20-17. To Antetokounmpo's point, the team is 9-10 against teams that are .500 or better and a combined 0-8 against the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

Beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in the NBA Cup final looked like it might be a turning point for the Bucks, or a moment when they started to find their groove on the court. Instead, they've lost six of their last 12 games and are seemingly falling further and further from the standard required to reach the NBA Finals.

Looming in the background is the speculation over Antetokounmpo's long-term future with the franchise.

The three-year extension he signed with Milwaukee hasn't gone into effect yet, but that's not stopping rival teams from sensing a potential opportunity. NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Brooklyn Nets view the two-time MVP as their "dream target," though there's nothing to indicate he's pushing for an exit.

It's highly improbable he goes anywhere before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Because of that, head coach Doc Rivers and his staff have the rest of the season to get things right for the playoffs.

Should the general malaise in Milwaukee carry on for the remainder of the campaign, though, Antetokounmpo may start to think long and hard about whether his career is best served by staying with the Bucks.