Earlier this month, a report came out stating that Giannis Antetokounmpo, his agent and the Bucks began trade discussions to send the two-time MVP elsewhere possibly before the trade deadline. Antetokounmpo later said he hadn’t heard the report, and that his agent may be involved in those talks by himself. It’s been somewhat of a confusing situation regarding what Antetokounmpo himself wants.
Antetokounmpo returned to the court for the first time in three weeks on Saturday, dropping 29 points and eight rebounds in a win over the Bulls. He reiterated some comments he made previously about remaining present on the team despite the trade rumors continuing to circulate.
He was asked if he wants to stay in Milwaukee, and replied with this tirade:
“I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here,” Antetokounmpo said. “It's disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. Disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff and all of the people that work hard for me to come out here and say 'I don't want to be here'. Don't ask me that question. I'm here, I'm putting on the jersey. And as long as I'm here I'm going to give everything I have, even in the last second of the game.”
Giannis shut down a reporter that asked if he wants to be in Milwaukee:
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) December 28, 2025
"I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. It's disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. Disrespectful towards the organization, my… pic.twitter.com/DYCo369qtj
It’s clear by this response that Antetokounmpo doesn’t want to discuss any potential trades, even though the reports keep coming out.
The Bucks have until Feb. 5 to decide if they want to trade Antetokounmpo mid-season, or if this is a discussion that will be tabled until the offseason like it was this past year. It might be another few months filled with rumors just like how it was this past summer regarding Antetokounmpo’s future.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
- Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Pistons-Clippers, Luka, SGA, Jaylen Brown)
- Giannis Defends Controversial Late-Game Windmill Slam: 'We're 11th in the East'
- Bulls Players Take Offense to Late-Game Giannis Windmill in Loss to Bucks
- Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama Submits Entry for Dunk of the Year vs. Jazz
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giannis Antetokounmpo Shuts Down Question About Bucks Trade Speculation: ‘I’m Here’.
