Jennings says he'd prefer to stay with Bucks

Published Feb. 13, 2013 10:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

MILWAUKEE -- With no contract for next season, Brandon Jennings' name is naturally going to be tossed into rumors as the trade deadline approaches.

A Wednesday ESPN.com report ranked Jennings as the second-most-likely player to be traded before next Thursday's deadline, going as far as saying the 23-year-old point guard is unhappy and has "irreconcilable differences" with the team.

Following Wednesday's 94-92 victory over Philadelphia, Jennings denied the report and insisted that information didn't come from him.

"That's just how the media is," Jennings said. "People are going to write stories. People are going to say things. The stuff that was said earlier today wasn't out of my mouth, so I don't know where that came from."

When asked if he expects to be in a Bucks uniform following the Feb. 21 deadline, Jennings said he didn't know. Jennings recently cut ties with agent Bill Duffy and has been rumored to have signed with agent Jeff Schwartz but can't officially announce his new agent until after a waiting period.

"I don't really know right now," Jennings said. "I would love to be (with the Bucks after the deadline), but right now everything is up to my agent. He's the one controlling everything and I'm going to leave everything up to him."

Jennings was then asked if he wants to be in Milwaukee.

"Of course," Jennings said. "We're in the eight spot right now. Why not? We have a chance to win it. Whatever happens, before I leave, I want to be able to accomplish something in Milwaukee."

Because he can opt out of the final year of his contract, Bucks guard Monta Ellis also has been the subject of swirling rumors.

"I'm not even worried about that, I never do," Ellis said. "I don't believe in trades until they happen. Right now I'm just thinking about taking a step back and just seeing what we can do in the second half.

"I let (Bucks general manager) John Hammond and all of those guys deal with that. I'm worried about the basketball part of it."

As an NBA veteran, Ellis has been dealt once and has been in countless trade rumors over the course of his career. He's learned how to deal with them better each year.

"One thing about me being in the NBA for eight seasons, every year they always talk about me being traded," Ellis said. "One thing I always tell people is to let it go in one ear and out the other. Don't believe it until it happens.

"Somebody is going to start it. As long as you don't feed into it and don't get caught up in it, you're alright. I think (Jennings) handled it the right way. He came out tonight and helped us get a win. That's the right way to go about it."

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