Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talk may have cooled, but it hasn’t gone cold.
There are currently no ongoing trade talks, according to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin. Antetokounmpo has not requested a trade, and the Milwaukee Bucks have no plans to move him. Yet, whispers about the former MVP’s future refuse to disappear entirely.
ESPN’s Shams Charania laid out a possible timeline for when real conversations could start, after the NBA’s free agency window.
“He’s been there for twelve years, so there’s going to be that equity given to the Bucks to see what they do during the draft week, free agency week,” Charania said on Get Up. “How much can they improve this team in their moves? He said it, he wants to compete for championships. Can the Bucks make those championship moves? His future, I’ve said it for the last few weeks, it won’t be tied to the draft, it won’t be tied to free agency. If there is a resolution on Giannis Antetokounmpo, it could be later in the summer.”
That sentiment was echoed by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who also acknowledged that teams around the league are watching closely, even if nothing is imminent.
“When you see teams not go after Kevin Durant to save their assets for something bigger, I can’t say for sure,” Windhorst said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I can’t say absolutely what’s in Pat Riley’s mind, as he doesn’t put all of his assets on the table that he could for Kevin Durant. I can’t say exactly what Leon Rose is thinking as general manager and president of the New York Knicks when they elect to pass on Durant. But I can state those facts surrounding the Bucks and you can extrapolate what you can extrapolate.”
