Even after Milwaukee’s surprising 116-101 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday, the Bucks’ season continues to spiral.
Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t publicly requested a trade, yet his intentions remain ambiguous. As reported in October by The Athletic, New York was interested but unwilling to fully commit, believing its roster could contend as-is.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have struggled, losing 10 of their last 13 games, with Antetokounmpo missing seven contests during this stretch. A right calf strain suffered on Dec. 3 is expected to keep him out until at least early January, according to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers.
Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal shared his perspective and offered his advice to Antetokounmpo during an episode of “The Dunker Spot” podcast with Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr.
“Do what’s best for you and your family,” O’Neal said. “In this business, they just say there’s nobody who cares. My favorite Michael Jackson song is ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ and you know, when you’re doing great, they love you, but when s— starts to hit the fan?”
O’Neal shared how trades hit him personally, recalling the heartbreak of watching teammates move on without warning.
“Everybody’s expendable,” he said. “I said to myself, anybody can be dog meat, and I got traded, right?”
O’Neal added a pointed warning for the Bucks star and two-time NBA MVP.
“So you’re not happy, your family’s not happy, you gotta do what’s best for your family because guess what, the organization’s going to do what’s best for them,” he said.
“When you wake up, you won’t even get a call from them,” O’Neal said, sharing his own experience. “You’ll see it on ESPN. I got traded from the Lakers on ESPN. Nobody from the Lakers even called me, like I saw it on TV.”
For now, rival executives are largely waiting for Antetokounmpo to make a definitive statement. With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Feb. 5, the landscape could change quickly if Antetokounmpo signals interest in a move. The Bucks’ situation remains uncertain, and as The Athletic’s Sam Amick points out, general manager Jon Horst isn’t going to give up a player of Antetokounmpo’s magnitude without getting something of value in return.
Until Giannis makes his position clear and the Bucks determine how to respond, Milwaukee remains mired in uncertainty.