Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future was the biggest talking point of the NBA offseason, and trade rumors continue to swirl around today regarding the superstar forward. The New York Knicks were the team Antetokounmpo was strongly linked to, and his Milwaukee Bucks faced off against them on Tuesday night at the Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 121-111 win, and postgame, he was asked if all that trade talk had become a distraction for him.
“I don’t have time [for that],” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not going to lie to you. I have four kids. I have a seven-month-old, two-year-old, four-year-old old and five-year old. So, brother, I don’t have time to read. Even if I wanted to pay attention to stuff like that, my life don’t let me.
“I have four little gremlins that they running around,” Antetokounmpo continued. “And I have my craft that I gotta improve, and then I gotta lead the team, and then I’ve got other things. I got my wife, I got my mother, I got my brothers, I gotta go to church. Man, I ain’t got time for all that.
“So I’m being very, very honest with you,” Antetokounmpo added. “I just love playing basketball, and I try to speak on the court.”
Antetokounmpo certainly hasn’t let any of that talk impact his play on the court. The 30-year-old put up 37 points (16-22 FG), eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two blocks against the Knicks. They had no answers for him, but there is a chance they might not have to worry about finding a solution in a year.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Oct. 7 that the Knicks and Bucks had discussed an Antetokounmpo trade in August, but it went nowhere. Charania also added that the Knicks were the only team that the two-time MVP wanted to play for if he were to leave.
Antetokounmpo dismissed this report earlier in this press conference, though. The nine-time All-Star stated that he did have some extra motivation for this clash, but only because the Knicks had swept the season series with the Bucks last season.
Antetokounmpo has made it clear this is a non-story, but we’re likely to find out for sure in 2026. If this season doesn’t end well for the Bucks, he is most probably going to ask out. Antetokounmpo has stated he is in his comfort zone in Milwaukee, but has no problem stepping out of it. In fact, he claimed he thrives outside his comfort zone.
Winning is Antetokounmpo’s top priority, and you’d imagine the Bucks, who have lost in the first round in each of the last three seasons, would need to go on a deep run in 2026 for him to stay. Will they? It seems unlikely, but they have gotten off to a good start.
The Bucks improved to 3-1 with this win over the Knicks. Some of the role players, like Ryan Rollins, have stepped up, and they’ll need to keep it up the rest of the way.
The Bucks face a stern challenge next in the form of the 4-1 Golden State Warriors at the Fiserv Forum on Tuesday at 8 PM ET. This will be a good early test for this group.
