The Milwaukee Bucks did not, after all, trade Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline. That doesn't mean the saga is over. Far from it. The rumor mill might be finally quiet for now, but Bobby Portis knows what to expect when summer rolls around.
"Soon as May comes and if our season ends and whatever it does, it's coming right back. But it ain't nothing you can run from. It's just what comes with it. So, it's off for now, but to be determined later, I guess. The rumors, the narratives, the whatever it is, it's nonstop."
Rumors will start swirling again as soon as the season ends
Giannis remaining in Milwaukee through the trade deadline understandably prompted some Bucks supporters to take a victory lap. What does Shams Charania have to show for all those months, all those years reporting on a possible Giannis departure? So far, nothing.
Whatever the merit of the reports on Antetokounmpo potentially wanting out, those rumors aren't going anywhere soon. With the deadline past and still months to play, there's not much to stir the pot right now, granting fans and the Bucks locker room a much-needed reprieve. Like Portis said, though, there's no room to get comfortable.
How the season plays out for the Bucks may or may not be all that relevant. At 21-29, they still sit two games out of the Play-in and, really, would be better off losing the rest of the way to improve their lottery odds. Even if the Bucks do make the Play-in, they are unlikely to advance much farther. Will Giannis be or less satisfied if they don't make the tournament but end up with a high-end pick in the draft?
No matter how it ends, Antetokounmpo's eligibility for an extension next October 1 will provide an inexhaustible talking point over the summer if he isn't traded before then. Regardless of conflicting reports about the organization's seriousness in exploring a trade this deadline, they could easily decide to move him once the season ends and teams can assemble stronger offers.
As comforting as it may seem, Giannis' ostensible re-commitment to staying with the franchise offers tenuous reassurance at best. Posting a clip from The Wolf of Wall Street to say he isn't leaving is all well and good for now, but he has made similar gestures before, then reopened the can of worms a week later with a new ambiguous comment.
Regarding the clip, more than a few people pointed out that, in the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio's character does, in fact, leave. Was the double meaning intended? Only Giannis really knows.
One thing is sure. Whether he comes back this offseason and reiterates his desire to win in Milwaukee, short of unambiguously declaring that he intends to sign an extension in October, nothing will stop the rumors from swirling. Even a declaration might not be enough until pen comes to paper.
As Portis knows, this season more than ever, the endless Giannis drama is just a reality Bucks fans and players have to deal with.