Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s locked in on Bucks, for now

If Giannis Antetokounmpo was bothered by the latest round of trade speculation, he didn’t show it.

Asked Wednesday about an ESPN report claiming the Bucks and Knicks held offseason discussions after he raised concerns about Milwaukee’s title chances, the reigning MVP said he hadn’t read the story — and didn’t sound particularly interested in doing so.

“I’ve said this many times, I want to be in a situation where I can win, and right now I’m here,” Antetokounmpo told reporters, via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go. … The rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me.”

That said, the two-time MVP stopped short of making a long-term commitment to Milwaukee.

“If in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human too,” he admitted. “You’re allowed to make any decision you want. But I’m locked in — to this team, to these guys, to this coaching staff, and to myself.”

Meanwhile, coach Doc Rivers didn’t mince words when asked about the same report, calling it a one-sided phone call blown out of proportion.

“I’ve been coaching 26, 27 years, and one thing I know is that 30 teams call 30 teams,” Rivers said. “That does not constitute a conversation. I read where it said ‘several conversations.’ Well, that never happened. It was a call, and (GM Jon Horst) said no — like he has for 11 years. Jon has never called a team about Giannis. That’s never happened.”

Antetokounmpo has two guaranteed years remaining on his max deal, with a player option for 2027–28. Despite Milwaukee’s recent early playoff exits and its worst regular season since 2017–18, the 29-year-old remains at the top of his game.

Last season, Giannis averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting over 60 percent from the field.

For now, he’s staying put. But the NBA world will continue to keep one eye on Milwaukee.