The Milwaukee Bucks do not plan to trade former NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Thursday afternoon trade deadline but are in the market to make smaller deals, ESPN reported.
The Bucks had been fielding calls from multiple teams that had made “aggressive offers” for Antetokounmpo, 31, ESPN reported last week.
He currently is sidelined with a right calf strain and is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 30 starts this season.
A nine-time All-Star who led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2021, he is the franchise’s all-time leader in games (889), points (21,377), rebounds (8,831), assists (4,456) and blocked shots (1,086).
He won the MVP trophy in 2019 and 2020.
Before the deadline, the Bucks agreed to trade guards Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey to the Phoenix Suns for forward/center Nick Richards and forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, ESPN reported.
Anthony, 25, averaged 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 35 games with Milwaukee.
Coffey, 28, appeared in 30 games (two starts) for the Bucks. He averaged 2.4 points over 8.8 minutes per game.
Richards, 28, played in 28 games (two starts) for the Suns, averaging 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game.
Hayes-Davis, 31, appeared in 27 games off the bench. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds over 7.2 minutes.
