The Bucks lost 79-107 to the Celtics tonight without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined due to a calf injury and has been at the epicenter of a tornado of trade rumors that have suddenly engulfed the Bucks organization and the city of Milwaukee.
Before the loss, Rivers sat down with ESPN and discussed various aspects of the game, including the Pioneers Day celebration. During the interview, he was asked what his perspective was on the trade rumors of Giannis Antetokounmpo as the deadline day approached, and the front office is willing to listen to offers.
“I don’t have one right now, other than Giannis has said everything that we need to hear, that he wants to be a Buck. He loves the city. That’s all I can go by as a coach right now,” said Rivers.
Initially, Rivers had confidently shut down the rumors, but now his tone seems to have changed, indicating it is out of his hands after a point, and it is the front office’s call to make the decision on that.
But Rivers additionally pointed out how the rumors have not only been difficult for him and the front office but also for the Bucks’ players who have been included in various potential packages heading out of Milwaukee.
“You know, has it been difficult? Yeah. Your players every day have to hear stuff every single day about not just their best player, but they’re thrown in the mix as well,” Rivers said as he indicated some Bucks players are worried for their future.
“My favorite day of the year this year will be the day after the trade deadline. That’ll be my favorite day,” concluded Rivers with a reassuring message that once the trade deadline passes, the players on the roster can confidently get into building chemistry as a team instead of worrying about their future.
Before being sidelined for multiple weeks, Giannis Antetokounmpo was averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the 30 games he played this season. He has shot 64.5% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc in that time.
Antetokounmpo has a massive $58.4 million guaranteed contract for next season as well as a $62.7 million player option. Not many players in the league are earning that number, and thus, for teams to make space for Giannis, they have to offer multiple players to match his salary.
But the league rules require teams to maintain a specific number of players on their roster, and therefore, blockbuster trades often include players in the deal solely to comply with those rules.
Moreover, trade rumors have also included players getting shipped out to bring Antetokounmpo the help he needs to make the Bucks a championship contender once again. Both of those rumors have been detrimental to other players.
Rivers, while trying to maintain his ground that Giannis Antetokounmpo is not going anywhere, has simply highlighted the plight of his other players and can’t wait for the February 5 trade deadline to be over.
My prediction is that the Bucks don’t trade Giannis Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline and wait for the summer, where they can potentially extract a lot more from teams in a trade for Antetokounmpo. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.
