Bobby Portis shuts down talks of Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the Bucks for greener pastures with comparison to Kobe Bryant: "Bleeds green"
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year. With Damian Lillard expected to miss much of, if not the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL, and the Bucks with few assets to build through the draft in the years to come, many believe The Greek Freak will request a trade.
The way longtime teammate Bobby Portis sees things, however, Antetokounmpo is cut from the same cloth as Kobe Bryant and wants to spend the entirety of his career with one franchise.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back, he spoke with NBA vet Lou Williams and longtime sports talk show host Michelle Beadle about the offseason ahead, and Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee:
"Giannis bleeds green. I think he bleeds loyalty, I think he bleeds wanting that Tim Duncan, Kobe, type career, Steph Curry type career where they play with one franchise."
As Portis went on to explain, trading for Antetokounmpo is no easy task for interested teams given the former MVP's contract, which is estimated as being worth $54.1 million next season on Spotrac.
Looking at the latest news regarding a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
While there's been tons of talk regarding a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, The Greek Freak himself has said very little publicly about the offseason ahead. Following Milwaukee's first-round loss, Antetokounmpo was asked about his future with the team.
In response, he said that he wasn't going to, quote, "do this," and speak on his future with the team, instead saying that he simply wishes he and the Bucks were preparing to head back to Milwaukee for another game.
Since then, reporter Howard Beck shared an update on Antetokounmpo's future during an appearance on The Zach Lowe NBA Show. According to his sources, the Milwaukee superstar is interested in playing for a team in LA, New York, or the Miami Heat.
As Beck also noted, he thinks that the Houston Rockets should also be in the mix as the team looks to take the next step toward becoming true contenders.
Of course, as Bobby Portis indicated, however, there's a chance that Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee and follows in the footsteps of players like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Steph Curry by remaining loyal to one team.
With the NBA Draft Lottery rapidly approaching on May 12, offseason talk is sure to pick up sooner rather than later.