Getty Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams defends Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
To say that the Chicago Bulls‘ 2022-23 campaign didn’t go according to plan is hardly a leap given the team’s abrupt return to lottery land. However, the Milwaukee Bucks probably own top honors where falling short of expectations is concerned following their first-round ouster at the hands of the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.
And, right on cue, fanbases for teams across the NBA are publicly dreaming up trade scenarios in which a disgruntled Giannis Antetokounmpo is dealt from the Bucks to their home clubs.
That includes the Windy City faithful, who are looking for something to hope for amid Lonzo Ball‘s knee injury saga, the imperfect pairing of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan being, well, imperfect and a front office that has done little to move the needle recently.
For his part, though, team insider Sam Smith doesn’t see the Greek Freak touching down at O’Hare International Airport as the newest member of the Bulls anytime soon (if ever).
“No story,” Smith wrote of Antetokounmpo to Chicago musings, via Bulls.com. “Giannis has two years left guaranteed and then a player option at $52 million, which he then could waive for a longer deal. The Bucks certainly aren’t listening to any deals. Imagine what that team looks like without Giannis — oh right, we saw that, which got them in the hole against Miami in the first place…”
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Gone On-Record About a Possible Desire to Play for the Bulls
Giannis on playing for the #Bulls someday tonight on The Sports Zone on Fox 32 Chicago.
@fox32news @foxkickoff @LouCanellis @CassieCarlsonTV @Giannis_An34
Smith further noted that Antetokounmpo has done little to indicate that he’s dissatisfied with his current station, writing: “He, more than most stars, seems unlikely to want out. He’s stated his affection for the Bucks many times and seemed to again in that much-admired postgame Thursday.”
That said, Antetokounmpo famously made headlines last summer when he spoke out on the mystique of playing in Chicago, where Michael Jordan took the Association to new heights during the ’80s and ’90s.
“I think anybody you ask that question that plays basketball, if he said no, he would be a liar,” Antetokounmpo opined. “It’s a team that won multiple championships, it’s a team that one of the greatest players — if not the greatest player — to ever play this game played for… So, it’s a no-brainer. Everybody would love to play for Chicago.
“Down the line, you never know how life brings it. Maybe I’ll play for Chicago but, right
now, I’m committed to Milwaukee.”
Some Would Say the Bulls Have Already Been Gearing Up for a Run at Antetokounmpo
Whether or not anything is actually in the works — and the perceived reality of the situation notwithstanding — there’s a belief among some that the Bulls have been laying the groundwork for a Giannis move for some time. And there have definitely been some curious coincidences to that effect.
Last September, it was revealed that the Bulls had hired Nikolaos Pappas as an international scout. Pappas previously served as the Sports Director for the Greek National Team, of which Antetokounmpo is a member.
More recently, Giannis’ brother — Kostas Antetokounmpo — was briefly signed to a two-way contract by the Bulls.