Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo shared his reaction to the Khris Middleton trade during a recent appearance on The Thanalysis Show, hosted by his brother and teammate Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The former MVP called the experience “weird” and explained how he found out about Middleton being dealt to the Washington Wizards last season in exchange for Kyle Kuzma.
Antetokounmpo said he wasn’t aware of the trade when it first happened, since he doesn’t use social media or track breaking NBA news alerts. He recalled learning about the deal during a team bus ride, when he noticed Middleton wasn’t in his usual seat behind him.
“For me it was very weird. You know, I’m not on social media – he knows too. Like, I don’t follow what’s going on. I don’t have Shams in my notifications like other players,” Antetokounmpo said.
“It was the team bus – we had the game in Charlotte I think, or I don’t know where it was… and Khris always sits behind me, right? These last couple of years he’s always behind me on the right side. So, I’m like, ‘Hey, hey, hold on Khris?’ They told me, ‘Hey man, he got traded.’ I said, ‘For real, for real? Damn.’”
“They told me, ‘Hey man, he got traded.’ I said, ‘For real, for real? Damn.’… The whole week was just weird… After that, we just had a conversation and that was it.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Khris Middleton getting traded 👀
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Giannis Antetokounmpo reflects on ‘weird’ moment Bucks traded Khris Middleton
He added that the rest of the week felt off as he played his first games without Middleton, someone who had been part of every game he’d experienced in his NBA career until that point.
“The whole week was just weird because like I never played an NBA game ever in my career without him. Then you know how the NBA is – it’s either you got to learn how to swim or you’re going to drown. So, got to figure out a way to keep on helping your team, you know, being great. After that, we just had a conversation and that was it.”
Antetokounmpo is off to a dominant start this season. Through three games, he’s averaging 36 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and one block per game while shooting 68.3% from the field and 66.7% from three. The Bucks hold a 2–1 record and will face the New York Knicks (2–1) on Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC Peacock to begin a three-game homestand.
Middleton is averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, two assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 51.5% shooting from the field and 36.4% from three in his first full season with Washington. The Wizards are 1–2 and will host the Philadelphia 76ers (3–0) on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. ET on MNMT.
The Bucks and Wizards opened the season against each other, with Milwaukee earning a 133–120 win. Their second meeting is scheduled for December 1 at Capital One Arena.
