NanSports > Basketball > Antetokounmpo admits he is facing the temptation of a trade but promises to remain professional&The new season will determine the future

Antetokounmpo admits he is facing the temptation of a trade but promises to remain professional&The new season will determine the future

Basketball

Translator's Note: The original article was published in The Athletic. The data in the article are as of the time of the original article (October 10, local time), and the dates and times involved are all local times.

If there was such a thing as a "three-word column" in the sports media world (a reminder to readers who are impatient to read long articles: there is not), it would be the simplest way to explain the current status of the complicated relationship between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. We've been tracking this for the past five years, and the theme of why he would consider leaving the only NBA city he's ever known remains largely unchanged.

The ambition to compete for the championship. An endless desire for greatness. And the looming question: whether he would have been able to achieve those goals if he had stayed.

The Bucks did their best to quell the uproar sparked by a recent ESPN report on Wednesday, when head coach Doc Rivers adopted his favorite "nothing to see" tactic with the media and Antetokounmpo made it clear he was fully focused (at least for the next six months). But the fact is that this matter is not inconsequential, and far from it.

The news that Antetokounmpo was interested in joining the Knicks was exposed after the trade negotiations between the Knicks and Bucks failed in August. Although this revelation may have been handled hastily and improperly timed, it is undoubtedly an escalation of the situation. It doesn't really matter who caused it.

Importantly, NBA insiders now have more inside information than ever before regarding the future direction of this matter. First of all, it completely confirms that the 30-year-old Antetokounmpo - four years after his only championship and with two seasons left on his contract - has begun to consider leaving.

In his own explanation, this is "temptation".

This does not mean that Antetokounmpo no longer loves the city of Milwaukee, or that he has completely lost confidence in the Bucks' ownership or management. But just like Lakers player LeBron James at the end of June, when he issued a statement through his agent expressing concerns about the team's ability to compete for the championship. This is a typical case of a star assessing the situation during the offseason and finally realizing that finding another career in today's NBA is not easy.

The timing of this whole thing is simply ridiculous. When the Bucks and Knicks were negotiating, the possibility of a deal was slim to none, because the Knicks made a decision a few weeks ago that made this deal a slim hope from the beginning.

"They should have started in June." An anonymous league source with knowledge of the situation said.

When the Knicks offered small forward Mikal Bridges a four-year, $150 million early contract extension at the end of July, it meant that he could not be traded within six months. It's critical that any trade for Antetokounmpo be centered around actual players, not draft assets, because the Knicks have very few draft assets to offer - in large part due to the amount of assets they already gave away in the trade for Bridges and Towns. Bridges could be included in a deal if the matter is revisited before February's trade deadline. But he was excluded this time, almost dooming the negotiations to be fruitless.

Team sources made it clear that, as expected, Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is not for sale in these negotiations. As for the players that may be involved, from a common sense point of view, attention will naturally turn to Towns, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.

But even if the Bucks are interested in a trade package that includes these players, it is well known that the Knicks are worried that a transaction of this level may lead to an imbalance in the lineup. That doesn’t mean they’re not interested — they absolutely are — but we’ve seen enough evidence over the past few years that Antetokounmpo’s impact alone isn’t enough. As the Thunder and Pacers showed in the Finals, depth and talent diversity are the keys to reaching the top of modern basketball.

All of this suggests that while the Knicks are quite uneasy about the uproar caused by the latest reports, they appear to be entirely focused on making a run at the championship with their current roster. From their perspective, much of what happens next will depend on whether they can live up to their established high expectations in the upcoming season.

In Antetokounmpo's case, it was truly impressive to see him deftly navigate the line between acknowledging anxiety and reassuring people in his media sessions. Rather than shying away from reports about his concerns, he accurately pointed out that it is human nature for a person to want the best for himself and his family. But in stark contrast to the drama surrounding many stars before him - from Dwight Howard to Jimmy Butler, James Harden and others - he's made it abundantly clear that his professionalism will not wane.

"I believe in this team," he told reporters, "and I believe in my teammates. I'm here to lead this team to the heights we can achieve, and it's going to be tough. We're going to take it one step at a time. Come to Indy, but I'll be here. So, all other things don't matter."

There is reason to wonder whether the mixed messages sent by Antetokounmpo and Bucks owner Wes Edens at media day triggered this latest series of events. Edens chose to tell reporters that Antetokounmpo expressed his commitment to the Bucks in a recent meeting, a risky move that could put additional public pressure on the team's star to stay. Antetokounmpo claimed he had no memory of the meeting.

When a superstar of this caliber is clearly thinking about his future, it's best to let him speak for himself. Not surprisingly, when Antetokounmpo addressed the matter on Wednesday, he emphasized his right to change his mind.

But the reality is that the upcoming season will largely determine what happens in the future. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks need to see if this roster has a chance to be competitive in the East, and the mood of the team will certainly change based on the answer to that question. The Knicks' championship hopes also depend on this. At the same time, if the "War for Giannis" does happen, the rest of the league will be ready to pounce.

At present, everything is still "to be determined".

Author: Sam Amick

Translator: GWayNe

source:7cm cn

Related Posts

Links