The rubber has finally met the road as international superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo “is ready for a new home,” according to ESPN senior insider Shams Charania.
“Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason,” Charania writes on X, “as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen…”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Asks Bucks To Find Him A New Home
Antetokounmpo’s been flip-flopping about his future with the Bucks so much that he could have earned an endorsement deal from Havaianas. Truly. For every time he’s made an indirect demand for Milwaukee to remain competitive to retain his services, he’s publicly downplayed the notion he wants to be traded. In fact, his situation is similar to that of former teammate Damian Lillard.
Towards the end of Lillard’s first stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, it was clear that they had reached their ceiling. Many were expecting (or hoping) that he would ask out to play for a more competitive team. Lillard often met those refrains with a two-pronged statement. On the one hand, he’d admit that he wants to play for a winning team. On the other hand, he’d deny a desire to be traded.
In the end, Lillard did make a trade request, perhaps angling to land with the Miami Heat. Instead, the Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks, which didn’t work out for either party. Indeed, it may have helped accelerate Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo’s impending divorce.
Ultimately, Lillard and Antetokounmpo are the type of people that believe they’re built in the mold of Kobe Bryant. To that point, Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers every season of his career. Like he stood beside them on the altar, he was with the Lakers through thick and thin. However, it’s a misconception that Bryant never considered a trade, as his frustrations with the franchise led him to request one in 2007.
Now, like Lillard and Bryant, Antetokounmpo appears ready to part ways with the only NBA team he’s ever known.
Where Could Giannis Wind Up?
At this point, the New York Knicks and Miami Heat are considered Antetokounmpo’s preferred landing spots. In fact, it’s thought that the Bucks and Knicks held trade discussions centered around the Greek Freak last offseason. However, at least one other contender could be on his shortlist: the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“One person told me that Giannis’s preferred list is three teams: the Heat, the Wolves, and the Knicks,” TrueHoop founder Henry Abbott reports on New York Post Sports. “Now, another person told me that is not his list, but would not tell me what his list is. So take it all with a grain of salt.”
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