Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wants a trade out of Milwaukee as soon as the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, according to ESPN.
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Several rival teams reportedly made aggressive offers to the Bucks for the former two-time NBA MVP, and are sensing that Milwaukee is “more open than ever” ready to deal Antetokounmpo between now and the NBA trade deadline.
However, the Bucks indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to move their franchise player — and are open to an offseason deal if they don’t get young talent at a good price and/or a surplus of draft picks in return, according to ESPN.
According to the report, Antetokounmpo has made it clear “for months” that he believes the time is right to part ways with the franchise that drafted him back in….
The Knicks were considered Antetokounmpo’s preferred destination when trade reports surfaced in the offseason.
Antetokounmpo will miss the next several weeks after sustaining a right calf strain in Friday’s home loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Earlier this month, Antetokounmpo was non-committal when asked if he is confident he’ll remain with the Bucks for the rest of the season.
“I don’t know,” he said repeatedly. “I take it day by day.”
In a subsequent interview, following a tough loss to the Thunder, Giannis gave a scathing assessment of the Bucks,
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo said.
“We aren’t doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there.
“Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.”
Antetokounmpo, 31, will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million supermax extension on Oct. 1.
The Bucks are currently 18-27 and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
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