The Milwaukee Bucks and superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been one of the main talking points around the NBA over the last few weeks.
With the rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo and the Bucks potentially trading him, quite a few teams have been connected as possible suitors. However, the idea that Milwaukee is going to trade its franchise player isn't necessarily going to become a reality.
In an ideal world, for both the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, they could find a way to stay together and compete for a championship. That is truthfully all either party wants to do.
While it is possible that a trade could go down this offseason, it may not be as likely as some rumors have suggested.
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According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, teams are not confident that Antetokounmpo will be moved.
"Of late, I'd say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture. It's only June 5th-anything could happen-and I've been told all along that if there is a decision, a formal decision made to shut or open the door on trade conversations for Giannis this summer, that it would likely happen closer to the end of June and when the offseason really, really begins," Fischer wrote.
"But I'd say for now, for now, talking to people around the league, the assessment and the expectation is that they're going to believe it when they see it-that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central lynchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else."
Basically, there is still a chance that Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo could choose to part ways, but the rest of the NBA isn't buying it just yet.
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During the 2024-25 NBA season, the Bucks went 48-34 and got into the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they were quickly eliminated in five games by the eventual conference champion Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo had another big year, averaging 30.4 points per game to go along with 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 60.1 percent from the floor in 67 games.
No one knows what to expect this offseason when it comes to Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo. It would be a wise bet that his name will be one of the hottest topics around the NBA when the NBA Finals officially come to an end.