The Milwaukee Bucks finally captured a win against the Jazz to improve to 2-6 on the season. However, their record is far from what the team envisioned ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Bucks are the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference despite having two of the best players in the NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. To make matters worse, rumors have circulated surrounding the two-time MVP’s potential interest in a trade. Hall-of-Fame guard Vince Carter shuts that notion down.
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On FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’, Carter engaged in a passionate conversation with former Clippers star Lou Williams regarding Giannis’ future with the Bucks. Unlike some stars in the NBA, the front office has granted Giannis’ requests. From players to coaches, the 8x All-Star’s desires have been fulfilled. Williams believes Giannis can’t run from accountability. He said,
“Here’s my thing. How fast we forget, Giannis wanted Damian Lillard… He was a part of the coaching change. For me, if I was his teammate, where are you going?”
Vince Carter weighs in on Giannis wanting a trade
"I was on a team with a player that had the power to make some moves… when the season was over, he left." – @mrvincecarter15
"Giannis wanted Damian Lillard… he was apart of the coaching change. Where you going?" – @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/Rz5G1sKLf2
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 8, 2024
Williams wasn’t alone in this belief. Carter joined in by saying, “[Giannis Antetokounmpo] can’t go anywhere.” The former Raptors star knows quite well what goes into requesting a trade. He asked for his way out of Toronto, but the situation was significantly different than Giannis and the Bucks.
The team failed to capitalize on their window to win by making horrible moves in attempts to build the roster. Toronto paired Carter alongside only one All-Star in Antonio Davis in the 2000-01 season. Giannis, on the other hand, has received all that he asked for.
The Greek star wanted the Bucks to trade for a star following their first round loss to the Heat in 2023. Milwaukee acquired Damian Lillard. Antetokounmpo heavily endorsed Adrian Griffin as the new head coach. The Bucks hired him as the coach. When things went sour with Griffin, Milwaukee replaced him with Doc Rivers, at Giannis’ insistence.
Williams and Carter believe after everything the Bucks have done for Giannis, he can’t jump ship. The 6-foot-11 superstar hasn’t publicly requested a trade. However, he’s gave hints at the possibility of change. In a conversation with the Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Bucks star said, “[What] if this year doesn’t go well? Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”
One can’t rule out the possibility of the Bucks parting ways with Giannis, even though the odds are low.
Giannis trade isn’t imminent
Neither the Bucks nor Antetokounmpo are in a rush to pull the trigger to a trade. The NBA season still has plenty of games left. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst supported this claim with his recent report on the Bucks.
In his report Windhorst said, “The concept of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo reaching the trade market is ripe for rumors and trade machine computations, but it’s not a reality as of now for Antetokounmpo or the Bucks, sources said.”
Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 12-year NBA career in Milwaukee. He isn’t just a household name, but a pillar in the community. However, his future with the franchise may be in jeopardy depending on the Bucks’ performance this season. Regardless, every NBA team is keeping a close eye on the Bucks this season.
