New Report Says Chicago Bulls Had Shocking Response to Giannis Antetokounmpo's Trade Interest

The Chicago Bulls turned Giannis Antetokounmpo away – at least that is what a new report is telling fans to believe.

During Tuesday's Chicago Sports Tonight on Fox 32 Chicago, long-time local sports reporter Lou Canellis shared a shocking update. As the Milwaukee Bucks and Antetokounmpo weigh whether or not to pursue a trade, Canellis reported that the superstar big man expressed previous interest in joining the Bulls.

In fact, Canellis even stated that Antetokounmpo's camp reached out to the franchise about making a possible trade happen. The Bulls' alleged response is stunning.

“I can tell you that Giannis and their representatives reached out to the Bulls about a potential deal, but the Bulls said they were not interested," Canellis said on Fox 32 Chicago. "They were not interested in breaking up their young core or changing their course of direction that they have laid out with AK and Marc Eversley right now.

Maybe things have changed with the latest report from ESPN about maybe the Bulls kicking the tires on Anthony Davis. I can tell you this for a fact a few months ago. Giannis wanted to be traded.”

That's right, Canellis insists that the Bulls front office shut down interest from one of the best players in the NBA. Arturas Karnisovas reportedly preferred to stay the course with his young and developing roster, which is now 3-11 in its last 14 games and sitting 9-12 in the Eastern Conference.

Did the Chicago Bulls Really Turn Giannis Antetokounmpo Away?

If this report from Lou Canellis is accurate, Adam Silver might have grounds for removing the franchise entirely from the NBA.

In all seriousness, if Giannis Antetokounmpo comes calling, you listen. Every organization in the league hopes that it receives such a phone call from the Greek Freak's representatives, which is why the news feels so incredibly hard to believe.

Now, Canellis does go on to suggest that this interest from Antetokounmpo came well before the latest drama in Milwaukee. While he does not say precisely when he received the information, he does share that the events happened a few months ago, which would have put us in the NBA offseason. We did learn around that time that Antetokounmpo reportedly expressed interest in joining the Knicks, so he apparently was reviewing alternative options. Still, we heard nothing about him having eyes for the Bulls at the time.

In fact, we have only ever seen two loose connections between the two sides. Antetokounmpo once spoke highly of the Bulls during an interview in 2022, suggesting that he might desire to suit up for the franchise one day. Howard Beck of The Ringer also said in March of this year that the Bulls may have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the big man, as he would prefer a major market. It's not nothing ... but is it something?

Regardless, the idea that his people would directly reach out to this current version of the Chicago Bulls about a move is still shocking. And the alleged response from the Bulls is dumbfounding, befuddling, moronic, and [insert whichever word you prefer here]. Even if the Bulls did opt for a more long-term approach at last year's trade deadline, Antetokounmpo is the kind of superstar player you completely change your philosophy for. If a 30-year-old two-time MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP wants to wear your jersey, you do everything to make that happen.

So do I honestly believe that this is how things went down? Not really. I have a hard time thinking that any executive would be foolish enough to do something like this, even the Bulls' leading man. Have a conversation with the Bucks, only for a deal to fall through? That's one thing. Refuse to even engage? That would be a cardinal sin.