Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be sidelined for approximately two to four weeks because of a right calf strain, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Antetokounmpo suffered the noncontact injury three minutes into the first quarter of Wednesday night’s win over the Detroit Pistons.
Antetokounmpo fell to the floor while trying to get back on defense and remained on the court, checking his lower right leg. He was helped off the court by teammates and walked gingerly to the bench before heading to the locker room.
Fears of an Achilles injury were immediately dismissed by coach Doc Rivers following the game after a preliminary MRI was conducted.
Antetokounmpo missed four games last month with a left groin strain but had played the Bucks’ past three games before Wednesday.
If Antetokounmpo misses four weeks, he could find himself on the verge of missing the qualifying number of games to be eligible for end-of-season awards. NBA players must play in at least 65 regular-season games to be eligible for the league’s major awards such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and All-NBA teams. Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP, has been both a first-team All-NBA selection and in the top five in MVP voting for seven consecutive seasons.
The injury occurred shortly after ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo is mulling his future with the Bucks. The player and his agent, Alex Saratsis, are having conversations with the team and discussing whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or elsewhere, sources told Shams Charania.
Rivers said before Wednesday’s game that “there’s been no conversations” and that Antetokounmpo “loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks.”
ESPN’s Jamal Collier contributed to this report.
