Conversations between Giannis and Bucks have intensified, report says

Cbssports reports that conversations between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo about his future have "intensified in nature," and that the "tension" in the organization and locker room is at "an all-time high," according to Shams Charania on The Pat McAfee Show. The Bucks have lost five of their last seven games to fall to 18-25 and sit 11th in the Eastern Conference.

After a 20-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Antetokounmpo called teammates "selfish" and "not playing hard." Earlier this week he said, "I don't know. I take it day-by-day," while weeks earlier he told Sam Amick he would "never" ask the Bucks to trade him. Charania said discussions with Giannis go back to May and have grown, describing a summer meeting that included GM Jon Horst, Doc Rivers and ownership in which the team tried to sell Giannis on being a title contender.

Charania also said the New York Knicks were a preferred offseason destination, that offers were made, and that the Bucks signed Giannis's brother Thanasis before he started the season in Milwaukee; Charania noted Giannis's 13-year tenure and reputation for loyalty. Antetokounmpo is under contract through 2027, and Charania pointed to a recent drop in shot attempts — 11 against the Thunder and 13 or fewer in five of the last six games — while cautioning that those factors do not guarantee a trade by the Feb.

Key Topics

Sports, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, Shams Charania, Jon Horst, Doc Rivers