Bucks Insider Says Giannis Trade Rumors Haven't Caused Internal Issues Despite Buzz
Despite trade rumors and speculation surrounding superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the offseason, Milwaukee Bucks sources insist it hasn't resulted in internal strife.
One anonymous Bucks source told ESPN's Jamal Collier, "There's no bigger difference than the perception of the outside compared to what's going on in-house."
On the heels of the Bucks suffering a third consecutive first-round exit in the playoffs last season, along with star guard Damian Lillard tearing his Achilles, there were questions regarding whether Giannis might want to play elsewhere.
The Bucks front office was aggressive in trying to keep around Giannis together by re-signing Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince. Milwaukee also waived the injured Lillard so it could sign center Myles Turner, who was arguably the top unrestricted free agent on the market.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that trade talks involving Giannis did occur during the offseason, but only with the New York Knicks since they were the only franchise he expressed interest in playing for outside of Milwaukee.
Per Charania, nothing came of the discussions since the Bucks didn't believe the Knicks made a strong enough offer, and the Knicks felt the Bucks didn't actually want to trade Antetokounmpo.
Prior to the start of the 2025-26 regular season, Giannis addressed his present and future with the Bucks, telling reporters:
"I've said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win. I've communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that's human, too."
That suggests Antetokounmpo may be open to requesting a trade if things go south this season, but the Bucks can prevent that from happening simply by winning.
Their season got off to a strong start Wednesday, as the Bucks opened with a 133-120 home win over the Washington Wizards.
Not surprisingly, Giannis led all scorers with 37 points on 16-of-26 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists.
Perhaps most promisingly, every Bucks starter scored in double figures, and seven Bucks scored at least 10 points overall, which suggests Antetokounmpo may have an improved supporting cast.
Regardless, Giannis is the driving force behind the Bucks' success, as the 30-year-old veteran is a nine-time All-Star, two-time NBA MVP, one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, one-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP.
Giannis and the Bucks will look to make it a 2-0 start to the season Friday when they go on the road to face the Toronto Raptors.
