Bucks' Damian Lillard decision may have just pushed Giannis closer to trade request

What do you think the conversation between Giannis and Bucks GM Jon Horst was like this morning? Do you think he gave the "good news" — that Milwaukee signed Myles Turner to a four-year contract and giving Giannis a great frontcourt partner — first? Or did he start with the "bad," that, in order to make room for Turner, the Bucks waived Damian Lillard after the star point guard tore his achilles in the playoffs.

I don't know the answer to that question. But either way, Giannis is reportedly "not pleased" with the team's decision to waive Lillard, according to Chris Haynes. There are plenty of questions that emerge here, the first being: how on Earth did the front office not tell Giannis they were planning on waiving his co-star before they did it?

I'm not one for hot takes. I try to take a level-headed approach to all reactions about NBA news. I don't think it's an overreaction to say that Milwaukee, by waiving Lillard either without Giannis' knowledge or against his wishes, just took a big step toward officially receiving a trade request from its superstar. That's not a step you want to take. I have no sources, but... this is how these things work. Any compliment I paid to GM Jon Horst and the Bucks front office in previous pieces is retracted!

Giannis reacts to Bucks' flurry of moves

"I don't know what's going on right now, man," says the caption of the picture that Giannis posted on his Twitter account shortly after the news broke of the Turner signing and Lillard waiving.

This is not exactly the response you want if you're the Bucks front office. If you're reading this, you're probably not a member of the Bucks front office, so... you're probably in the clear. But still. Your star being confused about the direction of the team after two massive moves is the opposite of what you want.

Giannis has not officially requested a trade

This is an important distinction; Giannis has not requested a trade, despite some reporting earlier this offseason about him potentially being open to playing somewhere other than Milwaukee.

Another important distinction in this whole saga; Chris Haynes, who broke the news of Giannis not being pleased, is a close associate of Damian Lillard's. I don't want to dispute his report or claim that he isn't reporting the entire truth, because that would be totally unfair. It's just worth keeping in mind that Haynes is essentially reporting from the Lillard camp, which likely has a different outlook on the whole situation than the Bucks camp.