Giannis all but ends trade speculation with one comment

All good things may not have to come to an end after all. In the wake of Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly being frustrated by how things have gone in recent years with the Milwaukee Bucks, it seems as though he is willing to give it another shot. Even though the rival Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference and made it to the NBA Finals, Antetokounmpo thinks the Bucks will be back.

It is this time of the year where many NBA stars such as Antetokounmpo often contemplate what their professional futures hold. Antetokounmpo is already the greatest player in franchise history, but a departure from Milwaukee could have a negative effect in the pantheon for him like what happened to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decades ago. Again, I would not leave Milwaukee because he can win here.

Antetokounmpo put it bluntly that "the finals are different." Winning in Milwaukee would be so sweet.

"The finals are different, I hope to be soon with the Bucks."

To be the one responsible for bringing the city its third NBA Championship will put him in rarified air.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported there is no trade market for Antetokounmpo at this present time.

"Right now, there is not Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, there [are] no Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussions. He has not asked for it. The Bucks are looking to trade him."

What are the realistic expectations that the Bucks could get back to the NBA Finals in the near future?

How do Milwaukee Bucks get back to NBA Finals with Giannis Antetokounmpo?

I wrote about this last week when discussing the New York Knicks' strange decision to part ways with their former head coach Tom Thibodeau. While is not perfect, far from it in fact, Thibodeau was not the reason the Bucks failed to get to the NBA Finals. The Pacers are a massive rival of theirs. Rick Carlisle is a phenomenal head coach. Most importantly, they have the right star in Tyrese Haliburton.

What I am getting at is the upper crust of the East can be had. New York may regress. Indiana may still be on top, but keep in mind that the Boston Celtics will be without star forward Jayson Tatum for a year as he works his way back from a torn Achilles. Yes, another team will inevitably emerge in the power void at the top of the East, but Milwaukee is in as good of a spot to potentially capitalize on it.

In a day and age where everyone needs instant gratification like they need oxygen, taking a step back, putting in the worth in favor of far superior delayed gratification can do anyone a world of good. What is important to understand is Antetokounmpo may not be getting any younger, but he is simply too talented for him to retire with only one championship. Any title will be singular after this, though.

The steadier a team like the Bucks can be, the more likely they can take advantage of the situation.