Interested teams get massive update on Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo with trade deadline approaching

Fan bases of advertised NBA championship contenders have spent the past several months hoping that the Milwaukee Bucks and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would agree to a divorce ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

It seems such a breakup is inevitable, but the timeline for when it will become official is up in the air. 

Bucks send message to interested teams regarding price for Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Multiple teams have received a sense that the Bucks are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline, league sources said," ESPN's Shams Charania, Jamal Collier and Bobby Marks reported on Wednesday. "However, Milwaukee has indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to complete a move and is willing to navigate Antetokounmpo's future in the offseason if its believed price point of a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks isn't met." 

Antetokounmpo reportedly requested a trade before the ongoing season got underway. Earlier in January, the two-time MVP insisted that he would "never" demand a trade and was "invested" in helping the Bucks right the ship. However, that was before Milwaukee fell to 18-27 on the season and before he suffered a calf injury that may keep him out of action beyond the trade deadline. 

Antetokounmpo could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 if he declines the player option attached to his contract. That said, the ESPN story made it clear that the Bucks could wait until this summer to complete a trade if their asking price for the 31-year-old's services isn't met. 

Why Bucks may not wait until the summer to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last week, Antetokounmpo said he felt that some on the 12th-place Bucks were "not playing hard," were "not playing to win" and were "being selfish." According to ESPN, "sources have said the uncertainty around Antetokounmpo has led to tension in the locker room and an uneasy environment." Additionally, sources told ESPN that "the writing is on the wall with Giannis" regarding his future. 

That's all well and good, but it sounds as if the Bucks are still uninterested in trading Antetokounmpo at a discounted price before Feb. 5 arrives. It remains to be seen how the New York Knicks and other clubs linked in rumors with Antetokounmpo will react to this latest update.