Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke with reporters on Thursday for the first time since an ESPN report indicated that he and his agent, Alex Saratsis, planned to open conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks about his future and whether they would move forward with a trade.
Antetokounmpo, however, suffered a calf strain in the Bucks’ next game which impacted the momentum of the conversation and prevented him from addressing the situation on the record directly.
“I didn’t hear about the report,” said Antetokounmpo. “Again, if my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he is his own person. He can have any conversation he wants about it.
“At the end of the day, I don’t work for my agent, my agent works for me. And there’s going to be conversations that are going to be made between him and the Bucks and him and his other players and him and other teams and other GMs, executives around the league. It’s something that you can’t control.
“But, at the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I’m still locked in, locked in on my teammates. Most importantly, locked in on me getting back healthy. And then locked in on my teammates and how can I help them from the sideline or encourage them to be able to play and play free. Because at the end of the day, it takes a toll on them too, right? They’re playing game after game after game. Thank God, we’ve had a very good schedule in the last couple of weeks, but it takes a toll on them too. Like rumors and that and in and out, injuries and lose, win, it’s hard, right? So, as a leader, but most importantly as a winner, you just gotta be there for them first.
“So, right now again, I’m just focused on getting back healthy on the court, focusing on how can I encourage my team to be the best version of themselves. After that, focus on how can I go out there and help them win games and get out of this hole that we’ve dug ourselves in and then everything else comes after that.”
Antetokounmpo becomes eligible on October 1, 2026 for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension through the 2030-31 season and could become a free agent as early as 2027.