Speculation has run rife on the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo over recent weeks, but it seems the dream of the Golden State Warriors trading for the 2x Finals MVP may be over before it even began.
After a disappointing third-straight first-round playoff exit for the Milwaukee Bucks, and with Damian Lillard's devastating torn achilles injury putting a huge dent in their hopes for next season, Antetokounmpo's future quickly emerged as the biggest storyline of this offseason.
That gained significant credibility when ESPN's Shams Charania reported a month ago that Antetokounmpo was "open-minded" about determining where his future lies, yet there now seems to be growing pessimism on the superstar forward actually requesting a trade from Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo may be staying with the Bucks after all
Speaking during Tuesday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst seemingly poured cold water on the hopes Golden State and others may have of acquiring Antetokounmpo in the coming weeks or months.
"Right now, there is no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, there is no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussions. He has not asked for it. The Bucks are not looking to trade him," Windhorst said.
Of course, things could change at any second if Antetokounmpo requests a trade, and perhaps he's waiting on the official conclusion of this NBA season before announcing his intentions one way or the other. However, there does appear to be growing sentiment on the 30-year-old remaining loyal to the Bucks and trying to work things out even despite Lillard's horror injury blow.
It's not all terrible for the Warriors who would likely be negatively impacted by a blockbuster Antetokounmpo trade. Honestly, if they themselves can't get their hands on the 'Greek Freak', then having him stay at the Bucks and in the Eastern Conference is the best possible result rather than have him join a Western Conference rival.
Golden State have been arguably the team most strongly linked to Antetokounmpo over recent years, particularly with strong reports that owner Joe Lacob has a dream of pairing the 9x All-Star with franchise legend Stephen Curry.
The idea of having one of the most dominant interior forces of all-time play alongside the greatest shooter of all-time is a tantalizing prospect, but the hopes of turning it into reality appear slim despite all the speculation over the last month.
Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game this season, finishing third in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. It was incredibly his seventh-straight top four MVP finish, having won the award twice in 2019 and 2020.