Per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks have officially shut the door on Giannis Antetokounmpo being dealt before the NBA Trade Deadline. He's staying in town.
Giannis is staying in Milwaukee for the rest of this season
It likely will not stop the rumors and the constant chatter around Giannis, but one thing we now know is that he will be staying with the Bucks until the end of the season. According to Charania, the Bucks "indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline."
Insider Jake Fischer also confirmed that the Bucks were never serious about trading Giannis before the deadline. It remains challenging to discern the truth amid the numerous stories surrounding Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks, as they likely conduct due diligence to assess the market value of their franchise star.
Milwaukee has made a move at the deadline to acquire Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis from the Phoenix Suns, with Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey going the other way. The Bucks now have too many centers, with Charania hinting that they may be looking to further explore smaller salary deals before the deadline comes to a close.
Minnesota was one of the teams in the running. However, the Timberwolves added Ayo Dosunmu and, after losing their assets to add the guard from the Chicago Bulls, ruled themselves out of the running. Golden State added Kristaps Porzingis and finally ended the saga with Jonathan Kuminga, leaving just the Miami Heat, and it was unlikely that a deal would be done.
This will run into the offseason and does change things for both the Bucks, Giannis, and teams that are still targeting the superstar. Teams will earn further first-round picks in the NBA Draft, something the Bucks have made clear will be a huge part of any accepted offer.
Antetokounmpo is eligible for a four-year $275 million extension on October 1. If he is traded in the offseason, that date would be pushed back six months from the trade date for Giannis to sign the maximum.
This is something all Bucks fans felt would end up being the case. Jon Horst was doing the right thing and asking for almost every possible asset on the table to part ways with Giannis. Everyone is aware of what he means to Milwaukee, and seeing other borderline All-Stars being moved for multiple first-round picks only upped the asking price.
We all know this story will not go away unless Giannis signs an extension with the team in October, but for now, he remains a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, shutting down all the foolish speculation.