The Milwaukee Bucks have been dealing with the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga all year long. It started in the summer when reports surfaced that Antetokounmpo would be open to being moved. Since then, things have only gotten worse.
Antetokounmpo has been injured five different times this season. In spite of that, he wants to play in the final handful of games. He claims the Bucks won’t let him play despite him believing he is healthy enough to do so. The NBA is currently investigating.
With everything that has been happening, GM Jon Horst is facing a lot of pressure. He revealed his true feelings about Antetokounmpo.
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Bucks GM Jon Horst Reveals How He Feels About Giannis Antetokounmpo
While speaking to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Horst revealed how he feels about the situation.
“Of course, I care about what he feels and what he cares about. And I have his entire career,” Horst said. “And he cares, hopefully, what I care about and what I feel and the organization. And he has said as much in a lot of this stuff. But it doesn’t mean that you always just do what someone else wants. Like you can still care and not do what they want.”
Horst reiterated that Antetokounmpo has not been cleared to play yet.
“He’s not cleared to play yet in a game. And we’re going to continue to evaluate it. I don’t know what the outcome in that world will be, but the only lens has been to make our best professional judgment for him and for us. And it has nothing to do with draft picks. It has nothing to do with tanking. It has everything to do with the health of the player.”
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ready before a game. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Milwaukee Will Likely Move Antetokounmpo This Summer
It is highly unlikely that Antetokounmpo stays with the Bucks after this season. His tenure with the team has run its course. Milwaukee currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, so they are not close to competing for a title. Antetokounmpo has repeatedly said that he wants to compete for championships.
Several teams are expected to pursue Antetokounmpo in the summer, including the Warriors, Heat, Celtics, and others. Even though Antetokounmpo is 30, he is still one of the best players in the league when he is fully healthy. Health is becoming an issue with him, though.
This year, the Bucks have the sixth-worst offense in the league. A large part of that has been because Antetokounmpo has suffered with injuries all season long. A new team will try to surround Antetokounmpo with the right kind of players to bring that number higher.
Milwaukee will look for multiple first-round picks and good, young players in any trade for Antetokounmpo. They decided to wait until this summer to engage in a trade because they believed that they would have more suitors.
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