The Luka Dončić trade has put the entire NBA world in disarray. What many believed to be among the most untouchable players in the league currently was unceremoniously dumped by the Dallas Mavericks. It’s led to a ton of conversation from fans, media, and the players alike. But one common thread among all three has been the difference in treatment between teams and players.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all spoke about players being sacrificed for making demands, whereas teams walk away unscathed. However, some of Antetokounmpo’s comments raised a few alarm bells about his potential future with the Milwaukee Bucks, even for his former teammates.
DeMarcus Cousins Believes Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Be on His Way Out
Since entering the NBA, Antetokounmpo has been a part of the Bucks franchise. In that timeframe, he’s accumulated two MVPs, brought the city its first championship in nearly 50 years, and became the franchise leader in almost every category.
But, after two disappointing seasons, a potential trade request out of the Cream City could be on the cards. The Greek Freak hasn’t been shy of dangling that threat in the past, and DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins believes it’s a real possibility that he goes through with it this time around.
“One thing I learned about Giannis being his teammate is there’s always truth in his humor,” Cousins said on an appearance on “Run It Bac”k on FDTV.
“The things he says, there’s truth in it. Always. So, I can definitely see it as a thing that happens, especially if this experiment with Damian Lillard doesn’t go as planned.
“It’s obvious he was ready to move from Milwaukee once before they won that championship, so he can get to a place where he’s ready to move on. So, if this doesn’t work out, I could definitely see him being in another situation.”
Giannis wasn't joking about wanting the NBA's European stars in big cities says @boogiecousins 😳
"As his teammate I learned there's always truth in his humor…if the Bucks don't work out, I could absolutely see him in Chicago."@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/LfvYrnPWoS
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 6, 2025
Cousins even mentioned the team he believed could be a possibility for the two-time MVP.
“Him being in Chicago, absolutely. It’s right down the street, he’s comfortable in the MidWest. And, obviously, Chicago is a great market for any superstar. So, there’s truth in his humor.”
The humor that he’s referring to comes from a quote by the Greek-born superstar earlier in the week. Speaking about the Dončić trade, Antetokounmpo was honest in admitting his shock. Running down the incredible résumé the Slovenian has already built for himself, it was baffling for him that a player of his caliber could be moved.
“I thought it was fake news. It’s insane. Obviously, I’ve played against Luka a lot of times and AD (Anthony Davis) and all the people that were included in the trade. This is the world we’re living in. It’s a business; you have to understand nobody’s safe, nobody’s safe.”
He also believed that the reaction from the fans and media was unfair to the players.
“When the team makes the best moves for them, and they believe they can get another player to win now. When a player believes that he can go to a different team, and he believes he can have a chance to win a championship, we cannot crucify the person and say that he’s not loyal and that he didn’t do the right thing and let everybody down.
“Because history has shown you, you have to do what is best for you and your family. You have to do what’s best/most important to win.”
But, the humor part came later on, when the typically jovial Antetokounmpo switched tempo. He believed that every European player should head up a major market franchise.
“You know what I want? I want Luka to the Lakers, I want (Nikola) Jokić to the Knicks. I want all the Europeans to go to all the big markets to see something incredible. This is what I want. This is my dream.”
Even though he said it jokingly, Cousins made it a point to repeat that there was truth in Antetokounmpo’s humor. Perhaps there is a possibility that the Bucks forward going to a major NBA market once again becomes a possibility.
Antetokounmpo is currently on contract with Milwaukee untll the end of the 2026-27 season at the minimum. Holding a player option for 2027-28, a 33-year-old Greek Freak could look to find success elsewhere.
