Updated Giannis Trade Rumors as Bucks Star 'Doesn't Want to be the Villain'
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo still isn't pressing the issue as his future with the Milwaukee Bucks remains a topic of speculation, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier.
Collier reported Monday that Antetokounmpo will need to communicate a "forceful" trade request if he decides he wants out between now and the Feb. 5 deadline. He cited a source who wondered whether the two-time NBA MVP is prepared to go that far.
"The question is who is going to get made uncomfortable," the source said, per Collier. "There's a difference between saying it out loud and innuendos. [The Bucks] know Giannis doesn't want to be the villain."
The Bucks are 11th in the Eastern Conference at 13-19, though Giannis' return to the court coincided with a 112-103 win over the Chicago Bulls last Saturday.
One source with the Bucks made it clear to Collier the front office isn't ready to wave the white flag.
"Our intent is to build this team and continue to add, not subtract," they said.
Another source acknowledged a sense of frustration, per Collier, but chalked it up to Milwaukee's overall performance rather than anything related to the Giannis saga.
According to Collier, the 31-year-old did at least directly address the fact he scrubbed his social media accounts and removed some mentions of the Bucks. He assured his teammates he just wanted to declutter his online presence and that there weren't any ulterior motives at play.
Collier went on to echo earlier reporting from NBA insider Jake Fischer, who said this month that Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine and Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant are on Milwaukee's radar.
One inescapable problem for general manager Jon Horst remains, however.
The Bucks have traded away a lot of draft capital in pursuit of immediate upgrades to Antetokounmpo's supporting cast. The returns from what they have on the roster might be limited as well.
Purely from a financial perspective, matching salaries in a swap for a big name is tricky when center Myles Turner ($25.3 million), forward Kyle Kuzma ($22.4 million) and forward Bobby Portis ($13.4 million) are the only players aside from Giannis making eight figures.
Then there's the risk in making any win-now moves and then watching Antetokounmpo request a trade. The Blazers re-signed Grant on a five-year, $160 million in 2023 and almost immediately saw franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard ask out.
"Give Jon credit for reinventing the wheel multiple times over the years," one source told Collier. "At some point the levy [is] going to break, it's just about when."
One person inside the league feels the Bucks possess a "puncher's chance" of making a midseason addition, according to Collier. That may be enough to stabilize things in the short term and keep Antetokounmpo dialed in.
Should another early playoff exit beckon, the nine-time All-Star's priorities and mindset may shift. At the end of the day, even the most ardent of Bucks fans may not blame Giannis if he decides a change of scenery is required to win another championship.
