Giannis Antetokounmpo. Stephen Curry, Warriors. Giannis trade
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talk after a game at Fiserv Forum on January 13, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
As the longest-tenured player with one franchise in the NBA, 17-year Golden State Warriors veteran Stephen Curry sympathizes with Giannis Antetokounmpo being torn about his loyalty to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Eric Nehm on Tuesday, Antetokounmpo said that, in a perfect world, he’d love to stay in Milwaukee and capture another championship, but he also recognizes that he stands to benefit by pursuing a title elsewhere.
“Brother, if you ask me deep down what I want today, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to win here, another championship. And if you can tell me that’s possible, let’s just hang up the phone.
“I want to be here, but I want to be here to win, not fighting for my life to make the playoffs. I’m not used to inconsistent basketball. I’ve played so many years of consistent basketball, I am not used to it anymore. During the game, I don’t know if you can see my face, (but) I get frustrated during the game, while the game is going on.”
Curry Likes Giannis Trade Comments
Curry liked the NBA on ESPN’s Instagram post highlighting Antetokounmpo’s comments, sparking interesting discourse on social media.
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Further to Antetokounmpo’s comments, the Bucks (20-29) face a tall task to qualify for the play-in this season, let alone secure a guaranteed playoff berth. As such, many insiders feel it bodes well for the Bucks to shut down the two-time MVP, currently sidelined with a calf strain, unless they pull off a Giannis trade by Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The Bucks reportedly are all-in on tanking the season and securing a high lottery pick this offseason, which would allow them to accelerate the post-Giannis era.
Giannis Trade Saga to Continue?
The chances of the Bucks executing a Giannis trade by Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST deadline seem extremely unlikely. Per multiple insiders, the Bucks are convinced they can land a better deal after the NBA Draft Lottery, when they’d have a clearer picture of the potential incoming draft picks and where certain suitors stand after a playoff run.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday night that rival teams feel the Bucks are “not serious” about going through with a Giannis trade, and are only testing the waters.
“I talked to several different sources around teams involved, and there are certainly questions about whether Milwaukee is serious and genuine about pulling a move of this magnitude for this franchise at the deadline,” Chrania said on NBA Countdown.
“There are obvious risk-rewards right now that Milwaukee has to sift through, whether they do it now or wait until the summer. If they wait until the summer, Giannis gets basically an expiring year on his deal. He’s got one year left. That gives him a little bit more say-so, a little bit more equity in terms of where he wants to end up and land.”
Teams such as the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs — flush with draft assets and blossoming stars — could enter the Giannis trade sweepstakes over the offseason, especially if they falter early in the playoffs. Such an inevitablity could severely hurt the chances of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, the two most aggressive suitors for the “Greek Freak” ahead of the deadline.