Giannis Antetokounmpo was exactly what Milwaukee needed on the court Saturday night, returning from missing eight games with a strained calf to score 29 points and lift the Bucks to a much-needed win over the Bulls. He even ended the game with a controversial windmill dunk that led to words with some of the Bulls players after the buzzer.
After the game, however, Antetokounmpo shot down any talk of controversy about him and his future in Milwaukee — he was not going to discuss it.
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During his post-game media session, he was asked, “Do you want to be here if you guys are not going to be able to…” but Antetokounmpo cut the question off.
“I’m here. I’m here. I’m here. Don’t ask me that question. I’m here. It’s disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. It’s disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say I don’t want to be here. Don’t ask me that question. I’m here. I’m putting on the jersey. And as long as I’m here, I’m gonna give everything I have even in the last second of the game.”
This echoes what Antetokounmpo has said going back to media day before the team’s first practice: Antetokounmpo is all in on these Bucks and is fully committed, then will reassess the situation in the offseason. As he says he does every offseason (last offseason he pushed the Bucks to have conversations with the Knicks, but at a point late in the summer, after Mikal Bridges had been extended, when finding a trade was next to impossible).
The Bucks continue to shoot down teams checking in on Antetokounmpo’s trade availability at the deadline, instead saying they are looking to add to the roster and want to build something that can better compete in an open Eastern Conference.
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The only way that dynamic changes is if Antetokounmpo demands a trade, and as his statement above shows, that is unlikely. Antetokounmpo does not want to play the bad guy, he does not want to disrespect his teammates like that. Now, next summer, entering what can be the final year of his contract (he has a player option for 2027-28), he can tell the Bucks he is not going to sign an extension, and that will force Milwaukee to trade him or risk losing him for nothing.
But that is next summer. Until then, Antetokounmpo is all-in on trying to win with these Bucks, who are 10-8 when he suits up this season (but 3-11 when he is out). Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, averaging 28.9 points on 64.1% shooting, with 10 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
