Even though the NBA Playoffs remain in full swing, the entire basketball world has an eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade status.
In the wake of the Milwaukee Bucks’ third consecutive first-round exit and a serious injury to Damian Lillard, trade rumblings around Giannis Antetokounmpo instantly increased.
Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has not officially requested to be traded, many experts are already forming hypothetical deals for him. Recently, Bill Simmons proposed a bold one-on-one swap that would send Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley to Milwaukee.
Meanwhile, fans were left intrigued by another mock trade scenario with the San Antonio Spurs going “all-in” for the NBA superstar.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesPaul George addresses Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential Milwaukee Bucks exit
Besides the fact that the Bucks will ask for an astronomical price, Antetokounmpo has always been loyal to the franchise.
NBA star Paul George is convinced that Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaking to Podcast P, the Philadelphia 76ers star said: “I think Giannis Antetokounmpo is that older era cut where he wants to stay in Milwaukee his whole career,” George argued. “I don’t see him wanting to leave.
“And you see that more so, you know, with international guys. They kind of stay where they were drafted for the most part, especially, I mean, they come from a different world. You come to America, you get treated like royalty, king, all of that.
“Like, [Bucks] took care of my family. This is home. And I won here. So, it’s a legacy thing, I think, with Giannis in Milwaukee. Yeah, I don’t think he wants to leave there. I don’t know what scenario is out there.”
Antetokounmpo is way too loyal to the Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks believed in Giannis when they chose him for the No. 15 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.
From being a skinny, little-known 18-year-old, Antetokounmpo rose to prominence and led one of the most compelling stories in sports while wearing a Milwaukee uniform. He became a two-time MVP and inspired their second ever NBA championship in 2021.
Similar to George’s notion, teammate Bobby Portis also made the case for Antetokounmpo’s loyalty, in which he wants nothing but a career similar to Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry, several legends of the game who remained with their beloved teams until the end.
But if he stays in Milwaukee next season, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are not expected to be among the contenders, even in a weak Eastern Conference.