In the midst of the annual offseason trade talk drama, Milwaukee Bucks star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been at the center of it all, with many wondering what his move will be as the 2025-26 season sits a month away, especially after Milwaukee cut point guard Damian Lillard to make room for their new signing in Myles Turner.
And when the "Greek Freak" was not seen at Milwaukee's media day Monday afternoon, speculation began to rise even higher about the future Hall of Famer's future with the team.
In a report by Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst, however, Giannis' absence had nothing to do with the uncertainty of his career.
Antetokounmpo Hit With COVID, Forced To Miss Media Day
In a post on X by NBA insider Jamal Collier, it was announced per Horst that the two-time MVP was suffering from COVID, which was the reason for his absence from media day with preseason play set to start next week.
Despite the risk of COVID and its effect decreasing over the years, it's understandable to take precaution and avoid sidelining anyone else with the virus, especially with camps and preseason starting soon.
Antetokounmpo finished the 2024-25 season averaging 30.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 11.9 rebounds, the former two a copy and paste from the season before, as he finished third in NBA MVP voting behind Denver's Nikola Jokic and the eventual winner, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Bucks kick off the preseason a week from today against the Miami Heat.