Giannis Antetokounmpo Reiterates His Commitment to Bucks After Trade Deadline

Antetokounmpo wants fans to know that he would never leave Milwaukee based on his own decision.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to reiterate his loyalty to the Bucks. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Despite trade rumors circulating for nearly a year regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee, the Bucks star remained firm with his hope to stay with the only NBA team he’s played for. The trade deadline came and went earlier this month, and Antetokounmpo’s wish came true as he wasn’t traded out of Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo gave his first public interview since the deadline ahead of Sunday’s All-Star Game when speaking to ESPN’s Malika Andrews. Once again, Antetokounmpo reiterated his loyalty to the Bucks—he will never directly say he wants a trade out of Milwaukee, yet he knows the NBA is a business and that it’s possible one day he still could leave.

“As of today I'm committed to the Milwaukee Bucks,” Antetokounmpo said. “I'm committed to the people that I work with, my teammates, the coaching staff, coach Doc [Rivers] and Jon [Horst, general manager] in the front office. ... You will never hear me say I don't want to be a Milwaukee Buck. I am a winner and I'm extremely loyal.”

Giannis:

"As of today I'm committed to the Milwaukee Bucks, I'm committed to the people that I work with, my teammates, the coaching staff, coach Doc and Jon in the front office...you will never hear me say I don't want to be a Milwaukee Buck. I am a winner and I'm extremely… pic.twitter.com/ihRNC7zw3q

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 15, 2026

Antetokounmpo admitted, though, that he used to dream of playing alongside the legends of the NBA on other teams, and he still does. But, that doesn’t mean he wants to necessarily leave the Bucks. That would never be his first choice, anyway.

“Growing up you dream ‘Oh, what if I played for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden? What if I get drafted by the Lakers and now I'm teammates with Kobe [Bryant]? What if I go play for the Cavs and LeBron [James] pass me the ball?’ ... If there were ever be a scenario of me not being a Milwaukee Buck no more, I don't want anybody to ever think like ‘Hey man, I quit on my team’ because this is my team and I love it.”

Antetokounmpo can’t say 100% that he will never leave the Bucks—that’s not how the NBA works. But, it sounds like he will never leave on his own desire. And, based on how many times he’s emphasized his stance about his future in Milwaukee, it should give Bucks fans some relief that Antetokounmpo might not leave the team in the near future.

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