On Monday, many NBA teams held their annual media day, including the Milwaukee Bucks. With training camps about to get underway and the preseason kicking off next week, there’s no shortage of storylines to follow around the NBA. However, the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason was arguably Giannis Antetokounmpo’s NBA future and whether he’d request a trade from the Bucks.
At Milwaukee’s media day, this continued to be a talking point. The Bucks wasted no time finding themselves in the headlines as ownership and their superstar have two very different recollections of what took place over the summer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Shoots Down Bucks Owner’s Narrative
Bucks owner Wes Edens told reporters that he met with Antetokounmpo and painted a picture of a great relationship between the superstar and the organization.
“I had a great conversation with Giannis in June, and he made it clear that he is committed to Milwaukee and he likes having his family,” Edens said.
Well, we can put the Giannis trade rumors to bed then, right? Not so fast. Around one hour later, Antetokounmpo told reporters: “I cannot recall that meeting.”
Bucks owner Wes Edens on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the team:
“I had a great conversation with Giannis in June, and he made it clear that he is committed to Milwaukee and he likes having his family here.”
Giannis just over 1 hour later:
“I cannot recall that meeting.”
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) September 29, 2025
Not quite how the organization hoped this would play out. There were plenty of rumors over the summer about the possibility of Antetokounmpo asking for a trade. While this denial isn’t a great sign, it is worth noting that Giannis did take an opportunity to say the right things at media day.
“I believe in my teammates. I believe in the people around me. I believe in the moves [the organization] makes,” Antetokounmpo said.
This will be a new-look Bucks team after the front office brought in Myles Turner, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, and Gary Harris this offseason to join Giannis, Kyle Kuzma, and Bobby Portis Jr. among others. But is that enough to contend?
Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade yet, so it seems to be enough to keep him on the roster at least until the trade deadline. However, looking at the landscape of the Eastern Conference, the Bucks will likely get a lot of calls about Giannis’ availability, especially if they get off to a slow start.
The Orlando Magic look to join the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks as title contenders this season, as the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics are forced to endure a season without stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum due to torn Achilles.
On paper, the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls will all be in the conversation to finish ahead of Milwaukee, and the Celtics could conceivably still put together a playoff run led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
One thing is certain: all eyes will be on Antetokounmpo’s NBA future, especially if he keeps making comments like this.
