NBA Report: Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘ready for new home’
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could be close to moving on from Milwaukee.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the Greek Freak is ready for a new home and the Bucks are listening to offers ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s what you need to know.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career with the Bucks, led Milwaukee to their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2021.
A two-time MVP, Antetokounmpo has been limited to 30 games this season because of a calf injury and hasn’t taken the floor since Jan. 28.
When healthy, Antetokounmpo remains one of the most dominant players in the league, averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season.
Milwaukee Bucks
The increased trade chatter comes amid a tough season for the Bucks. Milwaukee is 12th in the Eastern Conference with an 18-27 record, 3.5 games back of the final play-in tournament spot.
Antetokoumpo’s name has come up in trade rumours in recent years with the Bucks failing to win a playoff series since 2022. Milwaukee has been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three years.
Growing animosity
There appears to be growing animosity between the Bucks and their franchise star in recent months. Fans booed the team following a 139-106 blowout home loss against Minnesota earlier in January and Antetokounmpo responded by booing the fans back.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Antetokounmpo said following the loss. “But everybody has their opinion to do what they want to do. I’m not going to tell them what to do and how they should act when we don’t play hard or win, or we lose games or we’re not where we’re supposed to be. And I don’t think anybody has the right to tell me how I should act on the basketball court after I’ve been here 13 years and I’m basically the all-time leader in everything.”
High demand
A deal for Antetokounmpo is expected to draw multiple suitors, with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat believed to be among the most interested.
Antetokounmpo is under contract for next season at $58.45 million. He holds a player option for the following season worth $62.78 million. Antetokounmpo’s current salary is $54.12 million, which means Milwaukee would need to take back a significant amount of salary in any deal.
It’s also believed the Bucks could wait until the draft to make a trade so they know how the draft lineup will look.
