“Bomb” Sams Sarania: “Antetokounbos was discussing it only for Knicks in the summer-contacts were made, all open”

The days of Giannis Antetokounbos In Milwaukee? As Sams Sarania says in ESPN, in the summer there were Serious discussions between Bucks and Knickswith the 30 -year -old superstar setting the New York team as the only one to go with exchange. Although they did not perform, The subject remains open And it is not excluded even before the summer of 2026 to raise the issue of exchanging Greek Freak.

Sams Sarania reveals that the Bucks General Manager, John Horst, had visited Greece in the summer. “Horst sat with Antetokounbos and one of his agendas, George Panos, at the most important and sincere meeting of the two sides. The aim was to discuss any bad feelings that prevailed after Milwaukee’s third consecutive exclusion in the first round and thoughts they all had about the Bucks’ movements. The architect of the first team to win the Bucks after 50 years presented his vision for the 2025-26 season, saying that he believed that this version of the roster could claim the championship. While Horst expressed his confidence in the Bucks roster and his movements, Antetokounbos expressed his concerns about whether this team could actually succeed in claiming the championship and wanted to investigate if there would be a Alternative course for both the team and the player“, Says the valid reporter.

“Eventually, Antetokounbos returned to Milwaukee for the start of the 2025/26 season. With Antetokounbos participating in Eurobasket, the Bucks reached an agreement in late August to bring his brother Thanassis back, with a guaranteed one -year contract worth $ 2.9 million. At least for the time being, the sides had found common ground to stay together. However, one of the best players of all time is a hot topic of debate in the league ahead of the new season and the final decision may not yet be taken. In fact, the path to this point was not at all straight and almost led the twice MVP of NBA to find a new home in New York“, He adds.

So the issue remains open. “Alex Saratsis, Octagon’s chief executive and a spokesman for Antetokounbos based in the US, has expressed a strong interest in Antetokounbos and has conducted serious research on the best possible choices if the star and his representatives press on the exchange. Several groups were discussed internally, but one emerged as The only place that Antetokounbos wanted to play outside Milwaukee: New York Knicks. The Bucks accepted the Knicks’ impact on Antetokounbos and the sides started discussions for a period of time in August, but the teams never found common ground for agreement“, Sarania emphasized.

“The Bucks insisted on the Knicks that they preferred not to exchange Antetokounbos, but those in Milwaukee believe that New York did not make good enough offer for an exchange. It is not clear how the Bucks would have reacted to a great exchange offer by the Knicks. New York, for its part, believes that the Bucks never actually examined the case of exchange seriously“, He added.

Sams Sarania estimates that the start of the Bucks season and the momentum they show will determine his next moves. “John has expressed public and private in recent years that He wants to win a second championship and that any Buck’s failure to be contenders could lead him to look elsewhere. In a revealing debate, Bucks’ commander, Wes Eden, told media day that he had a conversation with Antetokounbos in June when the Bucks star expressed his commitment to Milwaukee. An hour later, Antetokounbos said: ‘I don’t remember making this meeting’“, He noted.

“John will closely watch not only the Bucks’ performance at the beginning of the season, but also the landscape of the rest of the league. The Buck’s owners, along with Horst and coach Doc Rivers, were hidden throughout the offseason that they want to keep Antetokounbos. Other groups believe that the only way Antetokounbos could get exchange would have been pressure on the Bucks, like several NBA stars who have asked for exchanges in recent years. But those who know Antetokounbos well say this is contrary to the character ofso he did not eventually put public pressure on Milwaukee this summer. He has built an image based on dedication, and his actions, namely two contract extensions with the franchise in 2020 and 2023, have been done without prior notice and through his own statement“, Sranian continued and ended up:

“Antetokounbos will keep his choices open depending on how the Bucks will start the season. Since the beginning of the Bucks season, pressure has been evident throughout the body like never before. It is considered a landmark season for Milwaukee. Interested parties within the organization understand that the first quarter of the season will have significant weight for the future direction. Antetokounbos checks the teams throughout the league this season, but they will also want to ensure that they are well positioned to claim him if he is forced. Next summer he will have only one more guaranteed season in his contract. On October 1, 2026, it will be able to sign a four-year extension, up to $ 275 million, by the 2030-31 season, and will be able to sign the same agreement as another group six months after an exchange, if it moves. This will increase its ability to go wherever he wants and to exchange if he chooses to pursue an exchange, because every team that is willing to acquire with an exchange will want to ensure that he is committed in the long term“, He concluded.