Giannis Details Recruiting Wes Matthews, Kyle Korver After Brogdon Departure

Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said he's not a natural recruiter but he understood the importance of stepping up to help the team after Malcolm Brogdon left to join the Indiana Pacers as part of a sign-and-trade deal last July. 

In an interview released Wednesday, Antetokounmpo told Eric Nehm of The Athletic he reached out to Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver during free agency last summer, and both opted to sign with the Bucks.

"[Matthews] was working out ... and called me right back," Giannis said. "I told him, 'Look. You can defend. You can knock down shots. You're a great person. You're a great human being first of all. You can help this team be better. At the end of the day, you haven't won a championship, right? I haven't won a championship either. We have to bring a group together that wants that and wants that bad.'"

On the topic of Korver, he added: "I called him and we talked. And I'm not going to say he's weird, but he's more reserved to himself. So, the first time I called him I was like, 'Did I f--k this one up?'"

Matthews confirmed getting a call from the NBA's reigning MVP was important in his decision-making process.

"It meant a lot," he told Nehm. "Not even just as an athlete, but just as anyone who is working, the admiration of your peers is what holds the most weight. Not writers, not blogs, not media and all that kind of stuff. It's the guys you're going to compete with and against to have the respect for you that means the world."

The signings of Matthews and Korver helped fill the void left by Brogdon and gave Milwaukee one of the league's deepest rosters to provide support for Antetokounmpo, who's put himself in position to win a second straight MVP Award.

He's more concerned about team success than individual accolades, though. The Bucks own the NBA's best record at 52-9 and are in position to seriously contend for the franchise's first title since 1971.

"I can't imagine the feeling that we'll have if we win a championship together," Antetokounmpo told Nehm. "This team is special. The atmosphere is amazing. If we win a championship, it is going to be amazing. It's going to be a bond that is for life and that's what I'm looking for."

Regardless of this season's outcome, Giannis the recruiter may be called back into action this summer.

The Bucks have five potential unrestricted free agents in Matthews, Korver, Robin Lopez, Pat Connaughton and Marvin Williams. While none of them are among the team's most crucial contributors, they help provide the depth that's made the team so successful during the regular season.

A championship-level team helps in the recruiting process, especially when it comes to attracting veterans who are seeking a ring, but getting to play alongside Antetokounmpo is also massive draw.