The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t playing all that well to start the season, and things could slide further as Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined for a few more weeks due to injury. However, trade discussions involving his name have surfaced, and former NBA champion Iman Shumpert believes that Giannis isn’t as hurt as he claims—he’s just waiting for a trade.
“Giannis cut corners. I could do it but imma sit down. I’m bout to get traded. He usually do play. Now he’s tryna get trade. We all know what’s going on,” Shumpert said.
While there is no confirmation of this, if the season continues to falter, the expectation is that Giannis will want to leave.
“As reported last week, Antetokounmpo, who is out for several weeks because of a right calf strain, and his agent, Alex Saratsis, have opened discussions with the Bucks about the future and whether the best path forward is to stay in Milwaukee or be traded. The Bucks are 10-15 after losing 10 of their past 12 games and have spent most of the past few weeks at No. 10 or No. 11 in the Eastern Conference standings,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has proposed a blockbuster trade sending Antetokounmpo to the New York Knicks.
“OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, 2026 first-round pick (top-8 protected, via WAS), 2028 first-round pick swap, 2030 first-round pick swap and 2032 first-round pick swap to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo,” Buckley wrote.
The Knicks would be giving up two solid contributors to the rotation, but acquiring a superstar like Antetokounmpo justifies the cost. The Bucks are struggling, while the Knicks sit atop the East and believe Giannis could lead them to a Finals appearance.
It remains uncertain if Antetokounmpo would actually leave Milwaukee, but there’s little doubt the Knicks would be a desirable destination. A duo of Jalen Brunson and Antetokounmpo would be formidable.