Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation on Bucks Star
Giannis Antetokounmpo established himself as one of the league's most promising young stars during the 2015-16 season, becoming indispensable to the Milwaukee Bucks and a player unlikely to be traded by the team.
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Bucks Consider Antetokounmpo a Key Building Block in Franchise's Future
Wednesday, June 22
The Bucks regard Antetokounmpo as a franchise cornerstone, and he is considered as one of the team's "untouchables" in any trade talks, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton are also in that group of untouchable players, according to Stein, who reported the Boston Celtics were interested in trading for either Parker or Middleton in a package that would include the No. 3 overall pick in Thursday's 2016 NBA draft.
Antetokounmpo, 21, averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals in 35.3 minutes per game, all career highs. He appeared in 80 games and established himself as one of the NBA's most well-rounded weapons in his third season, showing off what now appears to be a nearly unlimited ceiling.
He kept getting better as the season wore on, too, averaging 20.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in seven April games. He showed off versatility and the unique ability for a man his size (6'11") to handle the ball and facilitate for his teammates, eventually becoming the team's de facto point guard.
"We're going to go forward with him handling the ball," Bucks head coach Jason Kidd told of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in late March. "You can call him point guard, point forward, point center, however you want to look at it. With him having the ball and the pressure he puts on the defense and his ability to find guys, it has been a plus for us."
Kidd added that the team will "also look forward to training camp and starting the season with [Antetokounmpo] handling the ball."
While Antetokounmpo doesn't offer much in the way of shooting range—he's shot just 28 percent from beyond the arc for his career—he has few other weaknesses on the court, namely on the offensive end. Few players offer his length, rebounding, ability to block shots, scoring output and playmaking ability. He's a unique talent and one the Bucks will be building around for the next decade.
In other words, don't expect the organization to make him available in any trade offers for the foreseeable future.
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