For the past month, rumors, speculation, and leaks have suggested that Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the verge of being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although the Greek superstar never publicly demanded a trade, everything behind the scenes pointed to him wanting out. From the booing of his own fans to cryptic messages in interviews to flat-out saying he wants to win a championship above anything else, the understanding of the NBA trade deadline was that Antetokounmpo was soon to be on the move.
Amid all the buzz, three teams emerged as frontrunners: the Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Miami Heat.
On Wednesday night, the Warriors were told they were out of the running for Antetokounmpo. They quickly shifted to making a trade for Kristaps Porziņģis in an attempt to salvage their season and win Steph Curry another ring.
Earlier on Thursday, the Timberwolves decided to shift course, feeling like the Bucks weren’t going to trade the multi-time MVP.
That left the Heat and Pat Riley as the last franchise believing they could swing a last-minute deal for Antetokounmpo.
So, did it happen?
I hope you like long, drawn-out sagas, because Thursday will not be the end of Antetokounmpo trade discourse.
The Bucks decided to keep their centerpiece, who led them to their second-ever NBA championship, with reporters believing they will try to build around him this summer to make the team a contender.
Milwaukee is not expected to be any sort of threat this season, sitting at 20-29 in a hamstrung Eastern Conference, with Antetokounmpo expected to be out a few more weeks at least with a calf strain.
With Antetokounmpo staying in Wisconsin for at least until the end of the season, this opens the door to more teams that couldn’t make the necessary space to add him to their roster this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have been linked as viable options for Antetokounmpo this offseason, along with the three aforementioned trade deadline favorites.
Newsweek