Latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

As you know, Giannis Antetokounmpo trade chatter popped up again this week and Doc Rivers has officially reached the eye-roll stage of dealing with it.

Rivers met with reporters after a Shams Charania report suggested the Bucks star had reopened conversations with the team about his future. The coach shut that idea down quickly and sounded exhausted doing it.

“So, here we go again. There’s been no conversations,” Rivers said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I want to make it clear for the, I want to say one more time, for the 50th time, Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I talk to the source every single day. And he loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks.”

The “source” being Giannis himself. And the “one network” Rivers jabbed at appeared to be ESPN. That included both Charania’s report and a viral comment from Brian Windhorst, who said on ESPN Cleveland that Antetokounmpo “asked to be traded already” before the season.

Windhorst walked that back on Thursday morning and clarified that there was no official demand, though he added that offseason talks with the Knicks were “not the Bucks’ idea.”

Team officials who spoke with The Athletic echoed Rivers and downplayed the severity of the situation. There has been no formal request. There has been no ultimatum.

Still, the smoke is not going away. The Bucks have opened the season slowly. Giannis wiped almost all Bucks-related content from his social media.

Front offices around the league are already preparing for the idea that Antetokounmpo could one day ask out. Windhorst said several teams held internal meetings this week about what an offer might look like if Giannis ever pushes for a move.

Much of the league is also eyeing December 15, when a large portion of players become trade-eligible. 

Anyway, as all this is taking place, Antetokounmpo is expected to miss two-to-four weeks with a calf strain. We have more on that here.