Shams Charania recently reported that the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks have held talks about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The talks took place in August, but the information was not revealed until last week, when the NBA preseason had already begun.
Antetokounmpo remains with the Bucks, so obviously no deal was reached, but it certainly raised some eyebrows around the league.
Brian Windhorst revealed what he was told about the NBA’s reaction to the news that the Knicks were moving forward with a trade for the Greek Freak.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been insisting that Giannis Antetokounmpo is unavailable, so many were surprised to hear that they had negotiated a trade.
Some NBA front offices may have wondered why the Bucks only talked to one team instead of the entire league.
According to Brian Windhorst, “some teams” then called the Bucks to inquire about trading Antetokounmpo.
He explained: “After Shams’ report came out last week that the Knicks and Bucks talked about trading Giannis in August, as you would expect, I’m hearing that several teams checked in with the Bucks to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, can you listen to me?'”
“They were told ‘no.’ As you can imagine, the Bucks are committed to acquiring Giannis, but you would also expect the team to check in once it becomes public.”
But now we all know the Bucks are at least considering parting ways with their greatest player.
The Bucks recently announced they signed Giannis’ younger brother, Alex Antetokounmpo, to a two-way contract.
Giannis now has the opportunity to play alongside his two brothers, Alex and Thanasis, and make NBA history.
It’s clear the Bucks completed a deal to appease their superstar player, but Windhorst isn’t convinced it will change anything about his future in Milwaukee.
“When you waive a player like Damian Lillard and pay $100 million to keep him off the roster, and then immediately spend $100 million on Myles Turner, it doesn’t make sense to give your younger brother a two-way contract,” he added.
“I’m sure Giannis is excited. It’s a great opportunity for him to play with his brothers, a moment that they’ve probably dreamed of for a long time, but I don’t think that’s what Giannis is looking for.”
“Shams keeps talking about that 25-game record. The whole league is paying attention to it.”