Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks held on for a 112-110 MLK Day win in Atlanta. The Greek Freak led the way with a team-high 21 points and 17 rebounds as the Bucks improved to 18-24 on the season. The victory nudged them closer to the play-in field, where they sit a half-game behind the Hawks for the 10-seed.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, however, as Milwaukee squandered a 23-point third-quarter lead and trailed in the game with under a minute to go. Coming out on top made all the difference in what would have been an ugly way to lose a fourth straight game. That said, there was no absence of drama to leak out of Giannis’ postgame media session for those looking to find it.
Renewed hope (again) for rival fans with a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade on their wish list
It’s been a rocky road for the Bucks dating back to a pair of blowout losses last week. Tuesday versus Minnesota, the home crowd booed the Bucks into the locker room along with a 31-point deficit.
Indeed the season as a whole has been filled with frustration and drama. Giannis gossip never more than a muffled whisper from reignited full blaze. He’s helped stoke the fire himself with ambiguous remarks here and there and a general lack of clarity on his plans for the future.
Dec 29, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in a time out during the first half agains the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
It’s the same song and dance on repeat. One week he’s here to stay, the next he can’t say. Bucks fans are used to it, if uneasily so, but opposing fanbases are always hungry for the next tidbit suggesting Giannis may not be anchored, after all, in Milwaukee. Certainly that’s how some Miami Heat fans interpreted his postgame comments following a near-collapse against Atlanta.
Giannis Antetokounmpo with another very interesting post game interview 👀
Giannis Antetokounmpo on his thoughts about the league holding off their trade plans to wait and see what he decides:
“I can’t control that. I can’t control what other teams are doing. I just try to… pic.twitter.com/853HmMLGnY
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 20, 2026
While the Knicks may be the frontrunners, Miami has been a rumored suitor of Giannis’ dating back to drama over the summer. That hasn’t changed as his future, for all his affirmed and reaffirmed dedication to the Bucks, remains uncertain ahead of extension talks this offseason. Even recently, the Heat were reportedly holding tight to second-year center and former No. 15 pick Kel’el Ware in hopes that he might be a core piece in an all-in Antetokounmpo maneuver later on.
Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Kel’el Ware (1) works around Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Josiah Allick (53) during the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee fans would have preferred something more decisive, or at least less noncommittal, than his “day by day” quote on how he’s processing his status with the Bucks. A trade before the February 5 deadline seems highly unlikely at this point, but by the time his supermax extension deadline rolls around next October, the noise might be back at a fever pitch. In that case, the Heat will be a team to watch if the NBA’s fetishized “Giannis sweepstakes” become a reality.
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