Despite all of the speculation surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's future, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to keep him through this Thursday's trade deadline.
A week ago, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo is "ready for a new home." The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks were mentioned as trade suitors for the two-time MVP. However, none of them were able to blow the Bucks away with an offer.
"Sources told ESPN the Bucks did not feel the urgency to move Antetokounmpo before Thursday's deadline," Charania said. "Both sides are expected to reexamine a potential deal in the offseason."
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Shortly after the trade deadline passed, Antetokounmpo posted a clip from "The Wolf of Wall Street" along with this caption: "Legends don’t chase. They attract."
Even though Antetokounmpo was reportedly ready to leave Milwaukee, he's open to working things out. It's worth noting that he's eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1.
What's next for the Bucks?
Marc Stein reported this week that Milwaukee could wait to see what happens in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery before making a decision on Antetokounmpo.
“League sources say that the Bucks — who deep down would still prefer not to trade their Face of the Franchise — believe that a bolt of lottery luck in May could still keep alive Milwaukee’s dream of convincing Antetokounmpo to extend the relationship one more time,” Stein said.
This report was essentially confirmed by Charania, who said the Bucks haven't given up hope of "salvaging the Antetokounmpo era."