One moment he was on the court, the next he was gone.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made a baffling early exit against the Denver Nuggets, sparking immediate concern and confusion. With about 3:55 left in the first quarter, the franchise player walked off in the direction of the tunnel, heading to the locker room. He soon returned, sitting on the bench with an ice pack on his ankle, eventually checking back into the game with about 7:30 left in the second quarter.

However, he has looked oddly out of sorts, going 1 of 4 from the field in the second, so he might be playing through an injury. There’s no announcement from the Bucks yet on his status, so we can only speculate. Expect to hear more about this after the game, either from the team or the man himself.

This happened again in the fourth quarter. With about 30 seconds left, and the Bucks down by five, Antetokounmpo headed down the tunnel before coming back out as he heard the crowd roaring after breakout player Ryan Rollins hit a huge three. He didn’t check back into the game, but remained on the sideline, watching along.

All this comes amid a turbulent season for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The team is currently 18-25 and clearly not good enough to contend for a title as they have in the last few years. Apart from him, the rest of the roster has struggled. Without him, they are a horrid 3-11 this season, and it is getting worse.

Just days ago, after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, he publicly called out his teammates, telling reporters:

“Not playing hard, not playing hard, Antetokounmpo said. “We do not do the right thing. Not play to win, not playing together. Our chemistry is not there. Guys are being selfish. Guys are trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team.”

Things seem to be clearly heading toward a separation…

League-wide belief tells a different story from Giannis Antetokounmpo’s words

Around the league, the conversation about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s relationship with the Milwaukee Bucks has clearly headed towards a trade. Now, rival front offices are closely monitoring the status, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst highlighted.

“I don’t really want to antagonize the Bucks fans,” Windhorst said on NBA Today. “It’s almost like a couple that everybody in the league thinks is going to get divorced. They don’t know if they’re going to get divorced by Easter, if they’re going to get divorced by July 4th, but in the league, the teams do believe this is going to be a divorce.”

This belief persists despite comments made by both Antetokounmpo and Bucks head coach Doc Rivers indicating that the Greek forward is committed to the team’s betterment. However, recent actions from the Bucks superstar are making those comments harder to defend.

For now, the team is keeping a firm grip on the situation and, according to Windhorst, is not entertaining calls for Antetokounmpo. Instead, they choose to initiate any conversation themselves. The organization is trying to maintain control, whether to buy time or preserve leverage, but the belief in a rift between the two parties has only grown.

Top Stories

Celtics Make Major Trade Decision Ahead of Jayson Tatum Injury Return

What Happened to Jalen Green? Suns Star Makes Injury Exit to Locker Room vs Hawks

What Happened to Devin Booker? Suns Star Suffers Painful Injury Exit vs Hawks

‘Emotionally Reeling’ Warriors Receive Jonathan Kuminga Injury Update as Weather Hazard Alters Plans

NBA Trade Rumors: Mavs to Cut Ties With Anthony Davis for $220M Star

One team that might make sense for Antetokounmpo to end up on is the Miami Heat.

The Heat are still looking for a superstar to lead them, having been linked to Ja Morant, but the Greek star fills that void perfectly. The Bucks can land a solid package composed of young talent and a hoard of draft capital.

Most of all, it gives both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks something they want: a chance to compete and a chance to rebuild.