Bright and early on Tuesday morning, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania gave Milwaukee Bucks fans yet another reminder that Giannis Antetokounmpo's time in Wisconsin could be coming to an end sooner rather than later. On Tuesday afternoon, Brian Windhorst said on ESPN's NBA Today that the "expectation" has been that Giannis' days with the Bucks are numbered.
Just what everyone in Milwaukee wanted to hear with the start of the regular season around the corner!
It's no secret that Giannis could leave the Bucks. They lost in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, and above all else, Giannis prioritizes winning. He wants to be somewhere he can compete for another title; that place hasn't been Milwaukee.
The Bucks retooled the roster this offseason, waiving Damian Lillard and signing Myles Turner to a four-year deal, done in an effort to keep Giannis happy. Milwaukee even signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo to a one-year contract.
Will it be enough, though?
Windy says the 'expectation' has been that Giannis will leave the Bucks
Charania reported that the only team that Giannis wanted to play for outside of Milwaukee this summer was the New York Knicks. The two sides discussed a trade over the summer, but talks weren't advanced. The Knicks don't have the draft capital to land Giannis after they traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last summer.
It'd take a lot of maneuvering for New York to trade for Giannis, which could happen, but seems unlikely. That doesn't mean that Giannis will stay in Milwaukee, though. As Charania said on ESPN's NBA Today, if trade talks reignite midseason, the Knicks won't be the only interested team.
There is a lot of pressure on the Bucks. If they don't get out to a decent start, Giannis could do what he hasn't done yet and request a trade. Or, if he stays in Milwaukee for the entire season and the team's season ends with another early playoff exit, trade talks could ramp up next summer.
As Windhorst said, it feels like it's not a matter of if, but when Giannis will leave the Bucks. It's not the outcome any real fan is rooting for, but if Giannis does request a trade, forcing Milwaukee to move him, no one should blame him for it. He's done everything he can.
Unfortunately, this is what things have come down to.