Giannis Antetokounmpo wants the NBA and sports world as a whole to know that he isn't trying to get himself traded from the Milwaukee Bucks.
If his agent is, though, he has no comment on that.
Amidst one of the most crazed trade sagas in recent memory in basketball, the multi-time MVP spoke out publicly for one of the first times since the talk of a trade being a real possibility came to light earlier in December.
Antetokounmpo has been sidelined with a strained calf and is expected to be out until probably the start of the 2026 calendar year, but that hasn't stopped numerous teams from checking in with the Bucks to see if their crown jewel is possibly up for sale.
The Bucks are having their worst season in recent memory, and with Antetokounmpo wanting to play for a franchise that can win a championship, a divorce seems likely.
Milwaukee is 11-17 in a soft Eastern Conference and doesn't seem to have the necessary pieces, with or without Antetokounmpo, to contend anywhere near a championship level.
"This is the most I've ever been talked about in my career," Antetokounmpo admitted to local media. "Oh, Giannis is going to the Memphis Grizzlies! Giannis is going to the Detroit Pistons!"
Antetokounmpo jokingly compared himself to being the "hottest girl" with NBA franchises around the league turning him into their own Bachelorette-style reality show.
Since the rumors began, a few teams have reportedly taken a step back and not entered the sweepstakes, including the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets.
The frontrunners for Antetokounmpo appear to be the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves at this time.
Newsweek