Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Receives Ultimate Praise From Insider

There is no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world.

NBA insider Zach Harper believes Antetokounmpo is so talented that he deserves to be in a tier of his own in The Athletic’s top 40 NBA forwards rankings. Antetokounmpo was named the best forward in the league and placed as the sole member in a tier called “You are Giannis Antetokounmpo?”

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And the tier below was titled “Still Elite, Just Not Giannis”.

It included six-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and two-time NBA All-Star Zion Williamson.

Antetokounmpo’s talent and accolades speak for themselves, so Harper did not expand on why the nine-time NBA All-Star deserved his own tier. But he clarified that the decision was not a knock to Tatum, Banchero and Williamson.

Harper previously ranked the top 40 big men in the NBA and also placed Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in his own tier, separate from second-tier selections Victor Wembanyama, Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis.

Antetokounmpo is currently competing in EuroBasket with Greece, where he is one of several NBA stars to headline the international tournament. Jokic and Luka Doncic are also playing for Serbia and Slovenia, respectively.

Greece will play their first game of the tournament against Italy on Thursday at 01:30 pm CT.

Antetokounmpo will compete for Greece in EuroBasket since 2022. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Greece was eliminated by Germany in the quarterfinals.

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There has been speculation that Antetokounmpo will request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks over the offseason. The Bucks have been eliminated in the Eastern Conference First Round in four consecutive seasons after winning the championship in 2021.

Antetokounmpo may be ready to part ways with Milwaukee if it meant joining a frontrunner for an NBA championship.

As of now, Antetokounmpo has not requested a trade. NBA training camp starts at the end of September, and the Bucks are not planning to trade the superstar.

Milwaukee said they are building around Antetokounmpo. Therefore, unless he asks for a trade, Antetokounmpo will likely remain with the Bucks until he hits free agency after the 2026-27 season.

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