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“Did we compete today? No… If you don’t compete your ass off, you’re not going to win the game. [You have to] at least give yourself a chance… Are you OK with not competing? I’m not OK with that s***.”
That was a frustrated Giannis Antetokounmpo after he and the Bucks were easy work for the Knicks on Friday night. That frustration has fueled the NBA’s trade rumor mill and led to speculation the Bucks could be forced to trade Antetokounmpo, maybe by the February trade deadline.
Don’t bet on it.
As has been reported here before, league sources have told NBC Sports the Bucks will not trade Antetokounmpo unless he demands it and, while other front offices are monitoring the situation, nobody realistically expects that to happen during this season. While Antetokounmpo has fueled that rumor fire himself with comments more than a. year ago about competing for a ring being the most important thing — and this season’s Milwaukee squad has not looked anything like a contender — he has been nothing but loyal to the Bucks and signed a three-year contract extension before last season that hasn’t even kicked in yet. He is under contract with the Bucks until the summer of 2027 when he can opt-out. Even if he were to request a trade at this point, the Bucks can and would slow play this in an attempt to tweak the roster around him.
Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps went into detail on this same idea at ESPN.
The Bucks are indeed starting to canvas the league for a trade, league executives told ESPN. But no, not that trade. The concept of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo reaching the trade market is ripe for rumors and trade machine computations, but it’s not a reality as of now for Antetokounmpo or the Bucks, sources said…
Milwaukee is making trade calls looking for some help for Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, as Khris Middleton’s absence from offseason ankle surgeries extends and the team manages a 2-6 start [ED note: this was written before the loss to the Knicks]…
For a league that loves drama and fans who crave transactions, it’s tempting to jump to conclusions with Antetokounmpo. In this case, though, it should…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/bucks-reportedly-looking-add-talent-194937727.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-09 19:49:00
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