Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s locked in on Bucks, hopes trade rumors end

Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear Thursday that speculation about his future has taken on a life of its own.

Speaking publicly for the first time since suffering a calf strain earlier this month, the Bucks star pushed back on a report suggesting he and his agent have had direct conversations with Milwaukee about what comes next.

“If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he is his own person,” Antetokounmpo said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “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 other players, and him and other teams and other GMs, executives around the league.

“But at the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks.”

Antetokounmpo said his focus remains on getting healthy and supporting a team that has struggled during his absence.

“I’m still locked in on my teammates,” he said. “Most importantly, locked in on me getting back healthy. And then locked in on how I can help them from the sideline or encourage them to play free.

“Rumors, injuries, win, lose, it all takes a toll. As a leader, and as a winner, you’ve got to be there for them first.”

As for the trade chatter, Antetokounmpo acknowledged it likely won’t fade unless Milwaukee turns things around.

“Do I hope it ends? For sure. Do I think it’s going to end? No,” he said. “When people see cracks, they see opportunity. If I was on the other side as an executive, I’d probably do the same thing.”

Milwaukee sits at 11-17, and Antetokounmpo said he has urged teammates to play with urgency while he works back from a calf injury he believes stemmed from overcompensation after an earlier adductor strain.

“Sometimes you rush back because you want to help,” he said. “And maybe that was a mistake. I’ve done that my whole career.”

Either way, Giannis says the message to teammates is simple. He’s straight with them. He’s present. And he’s not having future talks, at least not yet.