Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens Up About His Future With Milwaukee Bucks Amid Trade Rumors: ‘I Want To Be Here, But I Want To Be Here To Win’
NBA legend Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up about his future with the Milwaukee Bucks during a conversation with Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks could part ways at the trade deadline. The future Hall of Famer has been linked to the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves in trade rumors.
During his talk with Nehm, Antetokounmpo said he wants to remain with the Bucks and win another NBA championship for the city of Milwaukee.
“Brother, if you ask me deep down what I want today, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to win here, another championship. And if you can tell me that’s possible, let’s just hang up the phone.
“You know basketball. You see basketball. You understand basketball. You’ve been around greatness. You’ve been around a championship team. You’ve been around a good culture. You’ve been around when the popcorn was popping. You were around; you saw it. If you tell me that that’s possible, we can hang up the phone and keep on moving with our day.”
The Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship against the Phoenix Suns. However, they have lost in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive years.
“I want to be here, but I want to be here to win, not fighting for my life to make the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not used to inconsistent basketball. I’ve played so many years of consistent basketball, I am not used to it anymore. During the game, I don’t know if you can see my face, (but) I get frustrated during the game, while the game is going on.
“I know there’s gonna be times you’re gonna lose; you’re not gonna win all the games. … But at the end of the day, it’s like how we carry ourselves. I see other teams, how they are and how they play, how connected the chemistry they have and how people are doing the right thing and they’re riding for one another. I just want that. I want that for my team.”
One of the greatest players in NBA history, Antetokounmpo is making $54.1 million this season. He has a player option worth $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season.
A top 75 player of all time, Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP, one-time Finals MVP, one-time Defensive Player of the Year and 10-time All-Star. He holds career averages of 24.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is February 5 at 3 p.m. ET. It will be intriguing to see if Antetokounmpo gets traded by the Bucks, who are in 12th place in the East.
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