Exclusive: Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Talk Grows but Dell Curry Shuts Down Exit Fears

One of the biggest topics this NBA offseason is the future of the two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo is the face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise and has been with the team since 2013. 

Although Antetokounmpo is under contract through the 2026-27 season - he holds a player option for the following year - the 30-year-old's name has swirled in trade rumours as of late due to the fact that the Bucks don't appear close to winning another championship. 

Antetokounmpo is going anywhere

Despite the acquisition of star point guard Damian Lillard, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round in each of the past two seasons. Milwaukee has since waived Lillard. Milwaukee hasn't advanced past the semi-finals since winning the NBA Finals in 2021.

Curry is best known for his Charlotte Hornets tenure but actually spent a year with the Bucks during the 1998-99 season. The 61-year-old does not believe the Bucks are going to allow Antetokounmpo to walk. 

"If I'm a Milwaukee franchise or the fans, I'm not letting Giannis Antetokounmpo leave under any circumstance," says Curry in a one-on-one interview. 

"He is a generational talent and a proven winner. I'm not letting him walk out the door. As any NBA team, you're gonna pick up the phone and answer calls and see what's out there, see if anybody wants to give you the house for him. But that'd be a hard decision to make on your own,” he told SportsBoom.com. 

Bucks Reloading After Waiving Damian Lillard and Signing Myles Turner

While the nine-time All-Star's future is uncertain, Antetokounmpo has not publicly requested a trade, and the Bucks have not indicated that they plan on shopping their star forward. 

In fact, they're making efforts to reload by signing former Indiana Pacers center Myler Turner, who started for the team over the past 10 seasons. The 29-year-old Turner averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds while converting on 48.1% of his field goal attempts and 39.6% of his three-point attempts while helping lead the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.

The Bucks used the stretch provision on the remaining $113 million on his contract to sign Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal.

However, it's hard to envision Turner single-handedly lifting the Bucks from a first-round playoff team into a championship contender. The starting lineup of Antetokounmpo, Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. doesn't exactly instil fear in Eastern Conference teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. 

If there is some hope, it's not due to the power of the Bucks' roster personnel, it's due to the fact that teams such as the Boston Celtics and Pacers will be dealing with long-term injuries to their star players such as Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, both of whom are recovering from Achilles injuries. 

Giannis Controls His Future

Curry indicates that it'll ultimately be up to Antetokounmpo on where he wants to play moving forward. In other words, the Bucks will only trade him if the star forward desires a move.

"Giannis can say, 'I enjoyed my time here, let's do what's best for me and the franchise.' Those are conversations I'm sure they're having internally, but me as an outsider looking in, no way I'm giving him up," says Curry. 

"I'm finding pieces to build around Giannis while he's still the player that he is and try to get out of the Eastern Conference and win another title."

The former Bucks guard says Milwaukee has another three-to-five-year window of contention if they retain Antetokounmpo.

"Easy decision on my part as a fan, but guys know inside that building and inside Milwaukee that you have a three, four or five-year window of what you want to do," says Curry. 

"But I don't see Giannis going anywhere,” he concluded.