Milwaukee Bucks fans have known that the odds of Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded this past summer were slim to none. Now, they have some backing from a legitimate NBA general manager, as Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets revealed Milwaukee's intentions with Giannis. Here is what he had to say when asked if Houston had any traction regarding a Giannis trade on ESPN Radio.
"No. I deal well with Jon Horst (Milwaukee's general manager). I really like him. Jon was very clear that they weren’t doing anything. So, that was that."
Hopefully this quote silences the Giannis trade chatter for good
Any talk of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade happening this summer - or any of them in recent years - has always seemed fabricated. How many times do Jon Horst and Giannis Antetokounmpo have to say they are committed to each other as long as the franchise is all-in on winning? It feels like it has been a dozen or so, but media members keep pushing narratives that say otherwise.
It should have been obvious that the Milwaukee Bucks weren't trading Giannis when they made the move to acquire Myles Turner. A team trading a generational player isn't waiving another one, in this case, Damian Lillard - and eating his dead money over the next several years to sign another win-now player. It just isn't happening.
Giannis himself made it pretty clear that he wants to be back in Milwaukee next season, telling a fan at a recent event, "All in Milwaukee, baby" when talking about the remainder of his NBA career. While that should be proof enough, Bobby Portis further pushed back on Giannis leaving Milwaukee by saying he knows the Greek Freak values spending his entire career on one team.
Contrary to what many believe, the Milwaukee Bucks have done a solid job of retooling around their superstar this summer. They needed to catch up with the times by getting younger and more athletic around their best player, and they did. The roster isn't perfect, but this group might be better off than they were with prior rosters.
Between Rafael Stone, Bobby Portis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo himself, everyone keeps saying that the Greek Freak is staying put. How many more people need to say it? Seemingly many more. Anyone can say what they want about Giannis' future in Milwaukee, but Bucks fans, and people in front offices across the NBA, apparently, know the truth. He's sticking around for now. Book it.
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