The entire NBA landscape is holding their assets close to the chest due to Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Greek Freak's future with the Milwaukee Bucks as uncertain as it's ever been, teams don't want to do anything to potentially jeopardize their chances of getting him in the event that Giannis does indeed seek a change of scenary.
Per analyst Zach Lowe, "I think Miami is in that group. Atlanta may be in that group. The Lakers are in that group. The Warriors are in that group,” as it pertains to teams waiting on Giannis' decision. While everything suggests Giannis will at least finish out the season in Milwaukee, no one wants to blink, and it's delaying moves across the association.
Everyone is waiting on Giannis right now
Giannis has said that he doesn't plan on requesting a trade from Milwaukee. Typically, that would be an open and shut case, but he does tend to leave the door open. When asked after Milwaukee's last game whether he would finish the season out with the Bucks, he said, “I don’t know, I take it day by day.” Opposing teams hear that and go into a frenzy.
Outside of the Washington Wizards, who wouldn't be a Giannis suitor, there's been little movement. Players aren't switching teams because everyone wants to save their best offer for Giannis, whether this season or in the summer. It's among the reasons there seems to be no market for Ja Morant. Why spend assets on Morant when Giannis may be up for grabs soon?
This could also be hurting Milwaukee's trade ambitions. For instance, a target they've been linked to for years and could use right now is Miami's Andrew Wiggins. Why would Miami even think about a trade with the Bucks that could help convince Giannis to stay? Any team with even a sliver of interest in Giannis will likely decline any Milwaukee phone calls, hoping their season crashes and burns.
No matter how many times he says he wants to stay, Giannis will always leave a sliver of doubt that he could finish his career elsewhere. For years, that has simply felt like a way to keep pressure on the front office to do everything in their power to keep this team afloat. For years, it worked out. Yet, now, it is not. If there were ever a time he legitimately wanted to jump ship, it would be now.
The next few weeks will be revealing. All signs point to Giannis gutting out the rest of the season as a Milwaukee Buck, but nothing is ever set in stone. If this trend continues, trade deals might not pick up until the final hour of the deadline when teams know Giannis Antetokounmpo's fate for certain.
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