Shams: Bucks indicating they are keeping Giannis through remainder of season (1:25)Shams Charania reports the Bucks’ intention to hold on to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season. (1:25)
The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other moves, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The news comes just hours before the 3 p.m. ET deadline and after several days of fielding trade offers from teams. The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves were among the teams interested in acquiring Antetokounmpo.
However, sources told ESPN the Bucks did not feel the urgency to move Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s deadline. Both sides are expected to reexamine a potential deal in the offseason.
The Bucks have not given up complete hope of salvaging the Antetokounmpo era and are now scouring the market for potential upgrades. Milwaukee has won back-to-back games this week but are still in the No. 12 slot in the East and trailing the Chicago Bulls by three games for the No.10 seed.
In the first reported move since making their intentions to keep Antetokounmpo known, the Bucks sent Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey to the Phoenix Suns for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis, sources told Charania.
Anthony, whom the Bucks signed to a one-year, $13 million deal over the summer, was averaging just 15.1 minutes this season and a career-low 6.7 points.
Antetokounmpo, 31, has been limited by injuries to 30 games this season, but is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He strained his right calf on Jan. 23 against the Nuggets, an injury Antetokounmpo himself estimated could cost him four to six weeks on the sidelines, but the team did not release a timeline. Antetokounmpo does expect to play again this season, however, once he has recovered from the injury, sources told ESPN. He has worked out on the court prior to games in Milwaukee this week in order to test his injured calf.
Shams: Bucks indicating they are keeping Giannis through remainder of season (1:25)Shams Charania reports the Bucks’ intention to hold on to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season. (1:25)
Shams Charania reports the Bucks’ intention to hold on to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season. (1:25)