Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks opened discussions focused on his future and specifically whether he prefers to move on from Milwaukee, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
The talks are being held to determined if Antetokounmpo will be on the trade block for contending teams ahead of the Feb. 1 trade deadline.
The two-time NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star is in his 13th season with Milwaukee since the Bucks selected him 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Since winning the 2021 NBA championship, Milwaukee advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2022 and has failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs each of the past three seasons.
This year’s team recently went on a seven-game losing streak and sits at 9-13 entering Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit. Since a 4-1 start, Milwaukee has lost 12 of its last 17 games to fall to 11th place in the Eastern Conference, a game out of the play-in round.
In 16 games this season, Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 on Saturday, is averaging 30.6 points (on pace to be the second-highest total of his career), 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting a career-best 63.9% from the floor and 43.5% from 3-point range.
Over 875 career games (810 starts) with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo is averaging 24.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Antetokounmpo is eligible for a four-year, $275 million maximum extension next October. If he’s traded, he’ll be able to sign that deal with his new team six months after the trade is completed.
