Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to insist that he has not demanded a trade out of Milwaukee and that he is “locked in” to play for the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo, 31, reaffirmed his position in an interview with The Athletic that was published on Thursday amid the ongoing speculation over his future with the Bucks.
“There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, ‘I want a trade,’ ” Antetokounmpo told the outlet. “That’s not … in … my … nature. OK?”
The Bucks have not engaged with other NBA teams regarding a possible trade, though it was previously reported that the team had talks with the Knicks over the summer about a possible deal. The two sides never really got anywhere, however.
Antetokounmpo has repeatedly said this season that he had not asked for a trade.
“I am not (going anywhere). I am invested in this team,” he said. “I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I wanna win games. The last six games we’ve played, we’re 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I’m locked the f–k in. I’m locked in. My priority is just staying healthy.”
The Bucks superstar also told the outlet that his plan was to be in Milwaukee for the rest of his career and insisted that “I’m not the one in charge. I am an employee.”
Antetokounmpo does still hold considerable cards at the table in the situation in Milwaukee, where he’ll be eligible for a sizable extension on Oct. 1. He also has an opt-out clause for the summer of 2027 as part of his current deal.
During the lengthy interview, Antetokounmpo told The Athletic that he was “1 million percent” committed to “my teammates, to my craft, to this team and to this city.”
“I don’t look right. I don’t look left. I look only to the next game, which is the Lakers, and I want to win the game,” he said. “I want us to stack wins before the All-Star Game to get ourselves back to the race. We’re what, 11th now? This is not who we are, you know? So that’s the only thing in my mindset.”
