Moving on to the next domino. This one isn’t falling.
In the oddest of ways, Giannis Antetokounmpo has confirmed recent reports that he’s staying in Milwaukee.
While in Brazil this weekend, the Greek Freak talked about the NBA Finals with Brazil’s Coast to Coast and dropped a bomb worthy of late night Woj. He’s staying in Milwaukee.
EXCLUSIVO
Giannis Antetokounmpo fala para o Coast To Coast Brasil sobre status na liga, Finais da NBA, All Star Game e mais!
Senhoras e senhores, com muito orgulho estamos lançando uma thread exclusiva com o GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO.
⚠️ Deixe o Like, RT e boa leitura! pic.twitter.com/3D3v64tb9j
— Coast to Coast Brasil | NBA (@brasilcoast2) June 9, 2025
Translation, according to Eurohoops who first brought the Brazilian report wider attention:
“There are two great teams that got there,” the Most Valuable Player of the Finals 2021 told the Brazilian outlet “Coast to Coast”, referring to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers reaching the 2025 Finals presented by YouTube TV, “Indiana, with my friend Pascal Siakam, is reaping the rewards, and OKC simply has the MVP. I’m rooting for good basketball.”
“The Finals are different, I hope to be back soon with the Bucks,” he added, all but rejecting considering other options to contend for a second championship.
As our sister site, Brew Hoop gleefully noted, “The most definitive statement yet!”
In addition to his statement, Antetokounmpo made news when he slipped on a wet Brazilian court and fell, apparently without any serious injury…
Giannis slips and falls trying to dunk in Brazil
(Via @brasilcoast2) pic.twitter.com/2UUDKwhNlU
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 9, 2025
Earlier this week, there were rising indications that speculation about Antetokounmpo’s next destination was for naught. Six days ago, Brian Lewis quoted a league source saying that the 30-year-old two-time MVP was loyal to the Bucks and was not the kind to blow things up and walk away.
“He’s not that guy [to cause trouble],” a source told The Post. “He’s going to complain, but he isn’t going to actually burn it to the ground and be the bad guy to leave.”
How much the Brooklyn Nets knew about his thinking is uncertain, but multiple sources have been saying for the last two years that the Nets ultimate goal was bringing Antetokounmpo to Barclays Center.
Back in April when meeting with the media, Sean Marks seemed to hint that Antetokounmpo was the only max player — or type of max player — who the Nets would be interested in.
“If you’re going after max-level talent, they have to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team. This can’t be like let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a 6-7 seed. When we go all-in, you’re going in to compete at the highest level and contend.” (Emphasis ours.)
With Antetokounmpo staying in Milwaukee and virtually no big free agents meeting Marks’ requirements available, the news would seem to indicate that Nets will emphasize a so-called organic rebuild, based on the draft.
The Bucks are not in the best place to compete for a title despite their superstar’s hopes, however.
Other than Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s top players are either hurt (Damian Lillard likely out all of next season with a ruptured achilles) or older free agents (Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis.) In addition, they are bereft of draft picks having traded most of them in an attempt to replicate their 2021 NBA championship run.