After the unofficial start of the trade season began on December 15th, the NBA has already seen two notable trades. The Miami Heat sent backup big man Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers, and the Golden State Warriors landed Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets. The trade deadline this season is on February 6. In the meantime, trade rumors have circulated that involve some of the NBA’s biggest names. This includes players like Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and even LeBron James appearing in trade rumors. While some rumors do eventually come to fruition, there are plenty of others that remain rumors. This is no different this year.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, one of the league’s top potential trade candidates will not be on the move this season–Antetokounmpo. Ahead of last night’s NBA Cup final between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder, Charania said Antetokounmpo will not be traded this season.
“There will be no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade this season,” Charania said before the Bucks-Thunder NBA Cup final. “Between the Cup and moving forward… his priority is putting himself in a position where he can have long-term sustained winning wherever that may be. Right now, it’s Milwaukee.”
NBA Insider Shuts Down Idea of Milwaukee Bucks-Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
Giannis Antetokounmpo Wants to Be MVP Again
The Bucks star is currently a two-time NBA MVP. Despite regularly being a top player in the league, Antetokounmpo has not won the award since 2020. Earlier this month, Antetokounmpo spoke about wanting to be in the MVP conversation once again.
“Yeah, that definitely might put tears in my eyes,” Antetokounmpo told Yahoo Sports earlier this week. “I do want to be part of that conversation. It lets me know I was able to help my team, carry my team, solidified [us as a team].
“I’m not gonna lie, it definitely means something to me.”
Antetkounmpo also spoke about having better seasons than the years he won while acknowledging he may never win the award again.
“At this point in my career, I had the conversation with my brother, I was like, man, it’s crazy to me. I had just come to a realization that I might never win another MVP,” Antetokounmpo told Yahoo Sports. “I’m having better years than the years I won it. But hey, the league is improving, guys are playing very, very well.”
The Last Word
Despite their slow start to the season, the Bucks have brought themselves back into the playoff picture. They are 14-11 and own the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, they won this year’s NBA Cup, becoming the first Eastern Conference team to do so. Most of their success is because of Antetokoummpo’s play on the court. This season, the 30-year-old is averaging a league-leading 32.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Additionally, he is shooting 61.4% from the field.
This could turn out to be Antetokounmpo’s best season of his career. However, it remains to be seen if he can propel the Bucks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021.
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