Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo makes definitive statement about possible trade request

Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had been the subject of trade rumors long before it was reported that he requested a move from the Milwaukee Bucks before the ongoing season got underway. 

For a piece produced by Sam Amick of The Athletic that was published on Thursday morning, Antetokounmpo delivered quite a definitive statement regarding his intentions.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will "never" do this amid trade rumors

"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment, that I will come out and say, 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo told Amick. "That’s not in my nature. OK?"

As noted by ESPN's Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo can opt out of his contract after the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, the 16-21 Bucks began Thursday sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. 

"I am not (going anywhere)," Antetokounmpo somewhat defiantly told Amick. "I am invested in this team. I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I wanna win games. The last six games we’ve played, we’re 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I’m locked the f— in. I’m locked in. My priority is just staying healthy."

Could Giannis Antetokounmpo change his mind ahead of the trade deadline? 

For months, numerous stories linked Antetokounmpo with the New York Knicks, which began Thursday as the conference's second-place team. The feeling has been that Antetokounmpo could try to force a move to a championship contender before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. 

Amick's eyebrows were raised when Antetokounmpo said he didn't plan on officially requesting a trade "as of today." The two-time MVP later said he wants to remain with the Bucks for the rest of his career unless "they don’t want me." 

"You know, for me, right now, today, I am committed — not 100 percent, but one million percent to my teammates, to my craft, to this team, and to this city," Antetokounmpo added. "One million percent. I don’t look right. I don’t look left. I look only to the next game, which is the Lakers, and I want to win the game. I want us to stack wins before the All-Star game to get ourselves back to the race. We’re what, 11th now? This is not who we are, you know? So that’s the only thing in my mindset." 

Antetokounmpo's comments likely won't stop pockets of Knicks fans from dreaming about what could be for their beloved club. It remains to be seen if the "as of today" portions of the Antetokounmpo interview were doing some heavy lifting when he spoke with Amick.