NBA to investigate reports that Bucks have decided to sideline Giannis till end of the season

The NBPA came out in support of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this week, in response to reports that the Milwaukee Bucks have a desire to shut him down for the remainder of the season. "The league designed the player participation policy to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court," the union said in a statement. "We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking."

Silver was asked about the NBPA's statement and if the league was investigating the matter.

"Before that press release from the players' association, we were not aware there was an issue," Silver said. "We knew Giannis was injured. He was within the sort of usual period it was taking to come back from that injury. So I was a bit surprised by that press release. Yes, when our players' association announces they see an issue, of course, we'll look into it. So that's where it currently stands."

Antetokounmpo has been in and out of the lineup since January. Once he wasn't traded at the deadline, it made sense for the Bucks to prioritise their draft positioning ahead of a summer where they could once again revisit moving the NBA champion. However, convincing Antetokounmpo to sit out while he's healthy was always going to be a difficult task, and it's reached the level of the player's union now. We'll see if anything comes of the league looking into this matter, especially as other teams have been fined this season for resting healthy players.

Earlier, the National Basketball Players Association rebuked the Bucks over their dispute with Giannis, implying that Milwaukee is "tanking" and damaging the NBA's integrity by wanting to shut down the All-Star forward for the rest of the season.

Sources told ESPN that Antetokounmpo refused the Bucks' request to sit out the remainder of the season. The two-time NBA MVP has remained adamant about returning to the court this season, believing he is not risking any further injury, sources told ESPN.

In a statement Tuesday, the players' association cited the NBA's anti-tanking rules and added that Antetokounmpo is "healthy and ready to play."

"The league designed the Player Participation Policy to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court," the union said in its statement. "Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking."