Until the words come straight out of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s mouthabout wanting to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, rumors about his truelevel of desire to stay with the only team he’s played for so far in his NBA career will continue to swirl.
Over the past days, the rumors about a possible Antetokounmpo trade has ramped up, and there seems to be no end in sight at the moment.
Whether they admit it or not, Bucks players, to perhaps different degrees, are being affected by the rumors.
Milwaukee guard Kevin Porter Jr., for one, had just spoken out about the nonstop speculations surrounding the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and the team.
“This is the last thing I’m going to say on false information. At the end of the day, everyone just needs to wait until Giannis says something because all of this is just he say, she say and I guarantee when we start winning and we go 8-0, 9-0, you won’t see nothing about the Bucks,” said Porter Jr. said (viaEric Nehm of The Athletic).
Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) celebrates after a three point field goal against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Rumors could be taking away from Bucks’ true focus on the court
Dec 3, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee guard AJ Green (20) and Porter Jr. (7) help Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) up after he goes down with an injury in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Such rumors are more of a distraction than something that actually benefits the Bucks on the court. They are already having a hard time winning games, especially with Antetokounmpo out with a calf injury.
Milwaukee has gone 0-2 in its last two games and 2-12 in the last 14 outings.
Milwaukee is just 10-15 going into a Thursday night matchup against the red-hot Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston. A win over Jaylen Brown and the Celtics will give Bucks fans something to celebrate.
Without Giannis, Porter can have another big night after leading Milwaukee in scoring in each of the team’s last two games.
Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Porter Jr. (7) celebrates after a three point field goal against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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