Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reiterated on Wednesday that reports of Giannis Antetokounmpo requesting a trade are untrue.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has played 16 regular season games for the Bucks this season, averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game. His individual performance remains at a top level in the league, but the Bucks' overall performance has fallen far short of expectations: they have only achieved a record of 9 wins and 13 losses in 22 regular season games, currently ranking 11th in the Eastern Conference.

With the Bucks' continued poor performance, trade speculation surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo has resurfaced. According to a recent report by ESPN's Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo has begun to re-evaluate the possibility of a trade: "Even before the season started, Antetokounmpo had already agreed with General Manager Jon Horst and Head Coach Doc Rivers' vision for a championship-contending roster. Sources indicate that he will observe the Bucks' performance in the first 25 games of the season and decide his long-term future based on the team's competitiveness in the Eastern Conference."

Shams also understands that Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Salasis, are in talks with the Bucks' management regarding his future. The outcome of these discussions is expected in the coming weeks and will determine whether Antetokounmpo can be put on the trading block before the trade deadline.

Rivers vehemently refuted the reports about Shams and others at the pre-game press conference. He told reporters, "I want to clarify again—I'll say it again—this is the 50th time, and obviously some media outlets just didn't listen: Giannis never asked to be traded. Absolutely not. I couldn't have made it clearer."

Despite Rivers' public denial of the rumors, Giannis Antetokounmpo's future had already been foreshadowed during the offseason. According to Charania at the time, the Greek star would decide his future based on the Bucks' performance at the start of the season. Antetokounmpo also admitted in an interview with The TA: "If I change my mind in six or seven months, that's perfectly normal. Everyone has the right to make any decision. However, right now I'm completely focused on the present. I'm focused on this team, my teammates, the coaching staff, and myself."

The 30-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the Bucks in 2013 as the 15th overall pick in the first round. To date, he has played 875 regular season games for the team, averaging 24.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He has also played 84 playoff games for the Bucks, leading them to his only NBA championship in 2021.

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo's ambitions extend far beyond that. He has always yearned to win more championships in his career, which is the root cause of his disagreements with the Bucks' management.