Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo consistently speaking about his desire to stay in Milwaukee for the entirety of his career, insiders and analysts continue saying otherwise. ESPN's Shams Charania has been at the forefront of the discussion lately, reiterating his stance that Giannis is still pondering his future with the team at the moment, but a recent comment might suggest otherwise.
During a recent event, Giannis was discussing his desire to play in the NBA for 15-20 years, and a fan shouted, "All in Milwaukee!" With a big smile on his face, the Greek Freak replied with "All in Milwaukee, baby." That certainly doesn't sound like someone who is currently wondering if he still wants to stick with his current franchise. For those paying attention, this isn't surprising whatsoever.
Giannis, Bucks shouldn't listen to the outside noise
Just weeks ago, Bucks president Peter Feigin went on NBA TV during a Summer League game and said what should have silenced any Giannis speculation then and there.
“We kinda laugh internally. Giannis loves Milwaukee, Milwaukee loves Giannis. We’re in a good place. It’s business as usual.”
Feigin isn't the only member of the Bucks to voice Giannis' love for the city. Earlier this summer, it was fellow big man Bobby Portis, who made it clear that the two-time MVP wants to have the type of NBA career that greats like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan had, where they spend every single year with the same franchise.
It also must be noted that Charania himself reported that Giannis was recruiting Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this summer. Why would Giannis recruit a player if he plans to leave any time soon? It certainly wouldn't make much sense. Imagine how Turner would feel if the Greek Freak turned his back on him like that.
While nothing is impossible, if Giannis were to ever request a trade, it feels like he would have done it much earlier in the summer. Currently, most teams have already made their big moves and would not have as much ammunition to make a deal, limiting the market. There would still be interest, of course, but it would be much harder to construct a logical transaction.
No matter how many insiders speculate and create reports, it appears the Milwaukee Bucks and their superstar are on the same page. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Until a concrete report comes out that Giannis wants a fresh start, there is nothing new to report. Insiders have been making this a story for nearly a decade.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.