Giannis affirms commitment to Bucks, would 'never' demand trade - ESPN

Giannis Antetokounmpo's future has loomed over the 2025-26 season, but the two-time MVP insisted that he will never demand a trade from Milwaukee.

«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 Athletic following Wednesday's 120-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors. «That's not in my nature.»

With about a month to go before the NBA trade deadline, Antetokounmpo reiterated his commitment to Milwaukee for the rest of this season and beyond.

«My plan is to be here for the rest of my career,» Antetokounmpo said. «If they don't want me… I'm not the one in charge. I am an employee.»

ESPN reported last month that the Bucks have not engaged teams about a potential Antetokounmpo trade and instead were focused on adding to their roster to try and build around their star forward.

Antetokounmpo, who turned 31 in December, is averaging 29.5 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season despite missing 14 games due to injury. Despite putting up some of the best numbers of his career, the Bucks are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 16-21, which has caused Antetokounmpo to emphasize a message of urgency in recent weeks.

«I am not [going anywhere],» Antetokounmpo told the Athletic. «I am invested in this team. 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 want to 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--- in. I'm locked in. My priority is just staying healthy.»

ESPN reported before the start of the season that the Bucks and Knicks discussed a potential trade over the summer with New York emerging