ESPN’s Shams Charania shut down any possibility of the Milwaukee Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo this season, prior to Milwaukee’s 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday night.
“There will be no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade this season,” Charania said. “Between the Cup and moving forward… his priority is putting himself in a position where he can have long-term sustained winning wherever that may be. Right now, it’s Milwaukee.”
Bucks Trade Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Not Be Going To The Nets, Warriors, Heat, Or Knicks
In November, Antetokounmpo had been linked to the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks. However, the Bucks never expressed any desire to trade the eight-time All-Star forward.
“Anytime [the Bucks] are struggling, there’s certainly going to be questions about the future of Giannis,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote last month. “He’s not looking to be moved. Milwaukee is not looking to move him.
“They’re looking to try to figure out kind of what went wrong with this roster to start the season. So I think we can put away the fictional Giannis trade proposals for right now. There’s no concern on that front.”
Per Spotrac, Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $175.37 million contract extension with the Bucks last October. His new deal, which begins next season, includes a $62.78 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign.
If the Greek Freak were to want out of Milwaukee, that would be the perfect time. That would put him at 33. In the meantime, he could still ask for a trade at some point — if say the Bucks underachieve again this season.
Last season, Milwaukee lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers during its first-round playoff series. In 2022-23, a No. 1-ranked Bucks squad was upset by an eighth-seeded Miami Heat team in the first round.
Antetokounmpo Won NBA Cup MVP After Recording His Third Triple-Double Of The Season
Antetokounmpo was named NBA Cup MVP on Tuesday night, adding to an already lengthy résumé of accolades, including Finals MVP, two league MVPs, and an NBA championship.
The 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo registered his third triple-double of the season, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and four blocks in 37 minutes of action.
Through 23 games (all starts), the Greek Freak is averaging a career-high 32.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 35.2 minutes per contest while shooting a career-best 61.4% from the field and 61.5% at the foul line.
Since winning only two of their first 10 games, the Bucks have the best record in the NBA at 12-3. Note that Tuesday’s game does not count in the official standings.
“We have just got to stay humble, keep on improving,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have a lot of basketball in front of us, [and] we play Cleveland on Friday. Very, very good team. They are going to be waiting for us. Right now, the emotion is at an all-time high. We have to bring it down, be humble. Once we leave here tomorrow, go back to the gym, lock in, and hopefully we can go and get a win against the Cavs.”
After beginning the season with a 2-8 record, the since-improved Bucks (14-11) managed to beat the Thunder (20-5), a red-hot team with the best record in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City had won five straight games entering the NBA Cup final, but since the defeat doesn’t count as a loss in the standings, the team’s win streak is still alive.
Rivers said it was the kind of win that “reminds us we can beat anybody.”
