Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks at Odds Over Forward’s Health As NBA Opens Probe

The situation with Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee grows uglier as he claims he is healthy enough to play, and now the NBA is investigating matters.

The NBA is reportedly investigating the Bucks over their handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo last suited up for the Bucks on March 15, scoring 31 points in just 23 minutes in a win over the Pacers. He’d exit the game early with a knee injury.

That win pushed Milwaukee to 28–39, though their playoff odds were already incredibly slim. The Bucks were in 11th place—the same spot they find themselves in today—and five games back of the Hornets for the final spot in the play-in tournament. With Antetkounmpo out, Milwaukee has gone 2–8, and were officially eliminated from postseason contention with a March 29 loss to the Spurs.

Giannis’s future with the Bucks has been tenuous dating back to the summer, though trade rumors have popped up over the last few years. The former MVP refuses to demand a trade, but short of major change to the situation in Milwaukee, it is pretty clear that he wants to head somewhere where he can compete for a second title. At the same time, as the Bucks struggled with Antetokounmpo healthy and completely collapsed without him on the floor, they had obvious motivation to keep him on the sideline as long as possible with a loaded pool of NBA draft prospects this year.

One problem: keeping healthy players on the bench is a violation of the NBA’s player participating policy, and now the league is investigating whether Milwaukee has held out Antetokounmpo after he became healthy enough to play, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Bucks, according to the report, told the NBA that they do not believe that Antetokounmpo “ is ready and actually wants to play.” Giannis, meanwhile, told the league that he wants to play but hasn’t been cleared by the team. And on Friday, he went on offense in public, ahead of Milwaukee’s game against the Celtics.

Giannis Antetkounmpo exited his last game, a win over the Pacers on March 15, with a knee injury. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetkounmpo calls Bucks’ handling of his injury “a slap in my face,” welcomes investigation

Ahead of Friday’s game against Boston, Milwaukee’s 10th consecutive game without their star forward active, he opened up about his frustrations with the franchise.

“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters Friday, per The Athletic. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”

He continued, openly welcoming the investigation that is now reportedly underway into the Bucks.

“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like—I’m saying it publicly—I want to f–-ing play. You know what I’m saying? I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”

Antetokounmpo forcefully denied that he doesn’t want to play, citing the chance to suit up with younger brother Alex

The Antetkounmpo family made NBA history earlier this history, when Alex Antetkounmpo made his debut with Milwaukee, becoming the third of his brothers to play with the Bucks this season, joining Giannis and Thanasis.

The opportunity to actually play with his little brother was reason enough for Giannis to want to play down the stretch, beyond his own competitive nature, he said Friday.

“I’ve heard somebody say that, ‘Oh, he says that he wants to play, but he doesn’t really want to play,’” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “First of all, I don’t know who gives you information like that … you’d be an idiot to have an opportunity to play with your brother that you’re eight years older than him.

“When I played my first NBA game, he was 11 years old. When my dad passed, I pretty much raised him. He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. And you really think that I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody that thinks that is an idiot.”

Alex and Thanasis suited up in the same game for the first time on Friday, combining for nine minutes on the floor while their superstar brother watched from the bench.

If and when Giannis is put on the trade block, he could spark an enormous bidding war

When asked whether his relationship with the organization can be repaired, Antetokounmpo said it would require “couples therapy” to find an amicable solution to the rift. For Giannis, it clearly comes down to being able to compete for titles, something that the current Bucks roster doesn’t appear ready to do.

As reluctant as the franchise has been to move their star forward in the past, owner Wes Edens has already acknowledged that the team will do so if they can’t sign him to an extension this offseason.

"The likelihood you'll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can't afford that. It's not consistent with what's good for the organization. That's not a Giannis issue. That's any player that's in their last year,” Edens told ESPN last month.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix wrote this week that they won’t lack for suitors, identifying six teams right off the bat that could get involved in a bidding “bonanza.”

As his name was bandied about at the trade deadline, Antetokounmpo made clear that he would not ask to leave Milwaukee. But as he continues to be held out despite his belief that he is healthy enough to play, he made clear how he feels about the current situation.

“I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”

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