Bucks rumors: Bill Simmons drops eye-opening Giannis amid trade speculation

Giannis Antetokounmpo is still with the Milwaukee Bucks, but for how long? That question just got more intense following the report on Monday morning by Shams Charania about the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player becoming more welcome with the idea of playing for another team.

Antetokounmpo has never suited up for a team outside of the Bucks so far in his NBA tenure, but Milwaukee’s underwhelming playoff performances in the past few years, coupled with uncertainty about the team’s roster outlook, have made him a target of trade rumors within the basketball realm.

But before Charnia published his article on ESPN, Bill Simmons of The Ringer said on his podcast that the belief in Milwaukee is that Antetokounmpo isn’t going to take his talents elsewhere.

“Everyone in Milwaukee thinks he’s [Giannis] coming back,” Simmons said. “Now granted the weeks pass and you never know. I don’t think they are expecting a trade request.”

Simmons may have an inside track as well about the latest on the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player with regard to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade stance. For what it’s worth, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has been a frequent guest on Simmons’ podcast. That’s not to mention that Rivers’ son, Austin Rivers, has a podcast under the umbrella of Simmons’ Ringer.

In any case, Antetokounmpo will be a huge subject in the NBA realm, especially in the summer.

Since winning the NBA title in 2021, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have let themselves down in every postseason since. They made the conference semifinals in 2022 but struck out in the first round in each of the next three years.

The Bucks don’t have top young talents on the team and feature aging guys like Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard. In other words, Antetokounmpo doesn’t have the kind of supporting cast at the moment that could help him and the team win another championship while he’s still in his prime. At the same time, the Bucks have the option to make the drastic move of trading Giannis Antetokounmpo in exchange for younger talents and building blocks in the form of future draft picks.