NBA Trade Rumors: Insider delivers massive update in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been rumored as the biggest potential trade piece of the offseason, but a new report suggests that may not actually happen.

During last month’s NBA draft lottery, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo was “open-minded” for the first time about leaving Milwaukee following another first-round exit and Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury.

However, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report recently said that teams are beginning to doubt whether Giannis will truly push for a move. In a livestream Thursday, Fischer said:

"Around the combine… weeks ago, there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building.”

"Of late, I'd say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture.”

Fischer noted that if the Bucks were to definitively open or close the door on trading Giannis, it would likely come near the end of June, once the NBA Finals conclude and the offseason officially kicks in.

"But I'd say for now, for now, talking to people around the league, the assessment and the expectation is that they're going to believe it when they see it — that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central lynchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else."

Toronto Raptors among teams interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo

Even with growing doubt around a possible move, rumors persist about teams prepping for a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jake Fischer wrote in The Stein Line that the Toronto Raptors remain a team to watch, dating back to their interest in the 2013 draft.

“There have been numerous rumblings about the Raptors’ interest in joining the eventual Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes … provided that the Bucks’ perennial MVP candidate actually asks out of Milwaukee at some stage,” Fischer wrote.

“(Team President) Masai Ujiri’s affinity for Antetokounmpo is an open secret around the league, so you can rest assured that the Raptors have already registered their interest."

Giannis averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season, appearing in across 67 regular-season games and finishing third in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.

Any team eyeing a trade would need to assemble a package of top young talent and multiple picks, as Milwaukee would likely require a massive return to consider dealing their franchise cornerstone.