Increasingly clear that Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay with Milwaukee Bucks

After weeks of speculation reports and searching for hidden messages in social media posts, this week we finally have real, tangible news regarding the Giannis trade saga: he’s staying in Milwaukee, for now. Brian Windhorst, a trusted senior writer for ESPN, gave a firm denial statement yesterday on the show Get Up after his cohosts were discussing a potential “secret plan” in the Knicks organization to trade for the Greek Freak.

“There’s not gonna be a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the short-term future,” he said. “The league has come to terms with the realization that the Bucks are gonna keep him and Giannis is not gonna ask for a trade.”

Let out a sigh of relief, Bucks fans. You deserve it.

This news may not come as a major surprise to those who didn’t overreact to every rumor they’ve seen over the last month or two. Plus, Windhorst and Giannis himself already planted the seed for this news earlier in the week. Still, it’s nice to have some definitive reassurance.

However, it must be noted that Windhorst qualified his initial statement with the following quotes:

“I can’t speak to what might happen in August.”

“Giannis Antetokounmpo is not getting traded before the Knicks are hiring a coach.”

What Windhorst may be implying here is that Giannis’ decision to stay with Milwaukee could depend on how the offseason plays out. If the Bucks strike out in free agency and on the trade market while other teams get better, perhaps the MVP may then decide he wants out. In the last two years alone, we’ve seen stars Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Julius Randle all traded in September, so a massive deal going down in the dead of the offseason would not be unprecedented at all. The chances of something similar happening with Giannis can only be speculated upon, but it appears to be possible based on the way Windhorst specified the lifespan of his no-trade guarantee.

Even if the words “I can’t speak to what might happen in August” may loom in the subconscious of Bucks faithful throughout the coming months, it seems like everyone can operate under the assumption Giannis will be in Milwaukee next year. With that being the case, this will be a massively important offseason for the team. Damian Lillard is set to miss most of next season, five or more other Bucks are entering free agency, and yet, a competitive team still needs to be formed around Antetokounmpo. Jon Horst and company will need to put in overtime in the next two months. Only time will tell how things will play out, but at least one thing is (almost) all but certain: Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain a Buck.

The full discussion with Windhorst on Get Up can be watched here: