Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name in the trade market, despite never making a formal request or the Milwaukee Bucks not taking on calls. As Milwaukee's struggles persist, the league-wide expectation is that Giannis will eventually find his way out.
A lot of the time, Giannis does what he can to shut down the idea that he might leave Milwaukee. Sometimes, he leaves just enough room for speculation with his comments.
After Milwaukee's recent victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Giannis was asked about the rumors that suggested the state of the NBA trade market was being dictated by his potential availability in the future. The star forward didn't shoot down the idea of getting traded that time. He simply hit reporters with "I don't know," followed by, "I take it day by day."
Giannis went on to make it clear that other teams' plans are out of his control. He's just focused on his tasks, which include trying to help the Bucks bounce back after they went through a long stretch without him earlier in the season.
Kendrick Perkins Makes a Strong Prediction
As the Bucks prepared for their Wednesday night matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins didn't hold back with his prediction.
"I know this. I know that if they get smoked like a fresh pack of Newports, I think that could be the end of this relationship as far as Giannis and the Bucks," Perkins said on the pregame show.
"I'm thinking about the comments after the last game from Giannis, and I'm thinking about if they get smoked tonight, I think this could end the relationship. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Bucks and Giannis respond."
How Did the Bucks Respond?
Unfortunately for Giannis and the Bucks, the Thunder were too much for them on Wednesday.
Entering the matchup as the Western Conference's top team, holding a 36-8 record, the Thunder are a tough task for anybody, let alone a squad that is currently out of playoff contention. But the Bucks have now lost four out of five games recently. It isn't getting any better for them, even with Giannis on the floor.
Perkins' prediction was bold, and it would be shocking to see a late January matchup against the defending champions be the final straw for Giannis after over a decade with the Bucks.
However, if the situation continues to regress rapidly, the Bucks will have to take a desperate swing ahead of the trade deadline to show Antetokounmpo that there is a genuine effort to make the team better. If all else fails, then fire up the sweepstakes soon.
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