Reports: Bucks want to sit Giannis Antetokounmpo for rest of season
The Milwaukee Bucks' injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't want to be shut down for the rest of the season, putting him at odds with the team, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo, 31, is currently sidelined by a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise, the latest in an injury-plagued season that has caused the two-time MVP to miss a career-high 32 games.
The Bucks (28-40) are currently 6 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Charlotte Hornets (35-34) for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
With only 14 games remaining, Milwaukee's hopes to play beyond the regular season are dwindling. However, the lower the Bucks sink in the standings, the better their prospects for what is regarded as a top-heavy first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The team, which had rebuffed trade offers for its superstar, has argued that it's best for Antetokounmpo's future as well as for the organization that he cut short the season, but he wants to keep playing, per the reports.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that recent imaging revealed no structural damage, with Antetokounmpo reportedly to be re-evaluated in one week.
Antetokounmpo missed 15 games due to a calf strain before returning on March 2, then sat out another two games when the team went 2-6 (0-2 without him). A left ankle sprain was cited as the cause of his absence from the 122-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 14.
He exited during the third quarter after landing awkwardly on a dunk during a home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Then he missed Tuesday's 123-116 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Milwaukee is 11-21 without the 10-time All-Star and 17-19 with him this season.
He is averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 36 games and already is set to play the fewest games of his 13 seasons with the Bucks. His previous low was 61 games during the shortened 2020-21 campaign.
Antetokounmpo has career averages of 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 895 games (830 starts).