Is Anyone Buying Giannis Antetokounmpo Suddenly Going Down, Amid Trade Rumors?
You be the judge. Is Giannis out, for good?
NOTE: I'm not a doctor … thus there is no Hippocratic Oath holding me back from assessing this Giannis Antetokounmpo injury like an online NBA blogger.
On Wednesday night, the Greek Freak went down in the opening minutes of a game against the Pistons. It was a non-contact injury, deemed a "calf strain," and Antetokounmpo was quickly ruled out.
In the video, Giannis didn't leave in tears or sharply drop because of the strain, though he looked disappointed after his clunky drop.
At the sight of Giannis going down, NBA fans screamed, online, that he's definitely on his way out of Milwaukee.
You be the judge. WATCH:
NBA fans are all hoping it's not an Achilles injury or something of that nature for Giannis … however …
Coming into Wednesday's game, rumors were RED-HOT about Giannis leaving Milwaukee, including a report from ESPN-NBA insider Shams Charania claiming the Greek Freak had asked for a trade before the season began.
Teams rumored to be in the running for a Giannis trade include the Spurs, Knicks and Hawks.
The truth is, Antetokounmpo, 30, has mulled his future in Milwaukee and seems all out of patience. And with a potential sidelining in play for the disgruntled star, this moment on the court could very well be Giannis' last with the Bucks.
Answering trade speculation in the pregame media session, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said Giannis loves Cream City and wants to stay forever … which is certainly a play to ease the rumors.
Who doesn't trust a Doc Rivers promise?
"There have been no conversations," Rivers asserted. "I want to make it clear for, I would say one more time, but for the 50th time it clearly is not getting to one network, for sure. Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear."
Giannis won an NBA championship in Milwaukee and built his superstar brand. Since that 2021 championship, and especially after coach Mike Budenholzer's departure, Giannis has been the only salvageable piece left in Milwaukee.
For a player of Giannis' caliber, the need to win or rebuild guides his career. Without a foundation to rebuild, Antetokounmpo's next chapter likely comes with a different uniform.
While we hope it's not a serious injury for Giannis, there's also hope that the loyal Milwaukee star didn't go down on a fluke injury to force his way out.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela