It’s a unique circumstance in that it’s a public statement in the middle of a season: the Bucks are preparing to play the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3. Conversations like these occur annually during the offseason and were repeated before the start of this campaign.
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ESPN, which initially reported their decision, said the agent and player expect a resolution in the “coming weeks.”
The announcement is a twist on Antetokounmpo’s public statement at training camp on Oct. 8: “I’m locked in. I’m locked in to this team. I’m locked in to these guys, to this group, to my coaching staff and to myself.”
But it is just the latest step in a show of discontent with the team’s direction.
Antetokounmpo deleted his social media accounts of all things Milwaukee and the Bucks while the team was mired in a seven-game losing streak in late November. He missed 4½ of those games after getting injured on Nov. 17.
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He then decided not to speak to a small group of reporters in Washington after a disappointing loss to the Wizards on Dec. 1, instead deciding to sit quietly for some time at his locker.
Milwaukee has lost eight of its last nine games and 10 of its last 13 to fall to 9-13. there are 11th in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Chicago in the loss column for the final play-in spot and four games behind Cleveland in the loss column for the sixth and final playoff spot.
Antetokounmpo is making $54 million this season and is under team control for $58.4 million through 2026-27. He has a $62.7 million player option for 2027-28, but star players don’t typically exercise it.
Antetokounmpo is eligible for another four-year, $275 million max contract extension in October. To retain that right with another team, he must be traded.
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During the offseason, Antetokounmpo and Bucks coach Doc Rivers acknowledged that the Bucks and New York Knicks had a conversation in August about trading the two-time MVP to the Knicks. Two team sources with intimate knowledge of the situation told the Journal Sentinel in the summer that Antetokounmpo never formally requested a trade in the offseason.
The day after ESPN broke the news, Antetokounmpo said, “First of all, I haven’t read that story,” Antetokounmpo began. “When the season starts, I try to get off social media and try to focus on my craft and the team. But yeah, I’ve said it many times, I want to be in a situation where I can win and now I’m here. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to take this team wherever we can go and it’s definitely going to be tough. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So, all the other extra stuff doesn’t matter.
“I think I’ve communicated with my teammates, I’ve communicated with the people that I respect and love that the moment I walk on this court or in this facility, I’m wearing this jersey, the rest doesn’t matter. I’m stuck with whatever’s in front of me. Now, if in six or seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human too, you can make whatever decision you want.”
Antetokounmpo added that he hoped the Oct. 8 interview would “put this to rest” regarding reports about his offseason activities. He addressed the trade report again when the Knicks arrived in Milwaukee a couple of weeks later, saying, “I didn’t read that article. I try to stay away from all those rumors, what’s-his-name, speculation, trades and all that. I don’t care about that at all. I try to get involved and try to help my team win games.”
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Further: What did Giannis mean when he shouted ‘This is my city!’ In the Bucks’ victory over the Knicks?
He then joked that he doesn’t have time to be distracted by those things.
Check back as this story develops.
This article originally appeared in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis Antetokounmpo, agent to discuss immediate future with Bucks