Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Talks Intensify as Bucks Entertain Offers
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The Milwaukee Bucks have begun listening to trade proposals for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the forward is open to relocating before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, league sources told reporter Shams Charania.
Multiple team executives now believe Milwaukee is more receptive than ever, though the organization has indicated it will not proceed unless its high asking price is met, according to the report. The Bucks are said to be seeking a blue-chip young player and/or a large package of draft picks. Should those terms go unmet, the club is expected to revisit discussions during the offseason, when additional first-round selections could become available.
Behind closed doors, Antetokounmpo has privately signaled for several months that it may be time to move on after more than a decade with the Bucks, Charania reported. The team, currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture and dealing with long-term roster questions, has held ongoing conversations with its franchise cornerstone about his future.
“I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said recently when asked if he expects to finish the season in Milwaukee. “I take it day-by-day.”
He has also been candid about the team’s performance. “We’re not playing hard. Our chemistry’s not there,” the All-Star said last week.
Milwaukee attempted to reshape the roster by stretching Damian Lillard’s contract to sign center Myles Turner, but stability has remained elusive. Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined with a calf strain, further clouding the Bucks’ immediate outlook.
No deal is assured, yet for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee appears genuinely uncertain.
Source: Hoops Wire
