Giannis Opens Up on Bucks Trade Rumors, Reveals What He Wants 'Deep Down in My Heart'

For months, fans and media have speculated about where Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to end up after the NBA trade deadline.

On Tuesday, Antetokounmpo brought the speculation to an end. He revealed what he wants "deep down" in his heart.

"You know," he said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jim Owczarski. "What I want deep down in my heart is I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career and win here."

What Antetokounmpo wants "deep down" in his heart and what he knows is best for him and his career might be two different things. The majority of NBA players would likely prefer to stay with the team that drafted them and win multiple championships, but the Bucks may have reached their ceiling with Antetokounmpo as their star.

Since winning a title in 2021, the Bucks have won just one playoff series and haven't advanced out of the first round in each of the last three seasons. Milwaukee is currently sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 19-29.

If Antetokounmpo does leave Milwaukee, a few teams have stood out as possible suitors, namely the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks.

Of those teams, the Warriors might not be a preferred landing spot as "some suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by" the prospect of playing on an older team, as well as "facing the same sort of criticism" as Kevin Durant when he joined Golden State in 2016, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Fischer added that one source said Antetokounmpo "wants to win," but also cares "about the arc of his professional story." According to Fischer, he also prefers a team like the Knicks or Timberwolves, which haven't seen championship success in a long time, if ever.