At one point, it seemed the writing was on the wall. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s desire to win championships forced an unimaginable thought. He entertained the possibility of moving out of Milwaukee. That report months ago shattered the NBA community and the Bucks. They went on the forefront, waiving Damian Lillard and signing Myles Turner to give the Greek Freak some assurance about their objective.

It didn’t do much. In fact, Antetokounmpo wasn’t pleased to see the organization waive Lillard, who suffered an Achilles tear by playing through injury. But with his heart stuck in Milwaukee, one would think months of inactivity meant the two-time MVP is confident to move forward with the Bucks. But Charania is once again there to baffle their fandom.

“Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania reported on Get Up.

According to the insider, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in deep thought. He still has some doubts about the Bucks’ roster, which isn’t looking flattering despite a weakened Eastern Conference. But despite these precarious times, Charania noted it’s a “very difficult” decision to make as the Greek Freak has spent his entire NBA life in Wisconsin.

He won a special championship with them. But it goes beyond the hardwood. Antetokounmpo and his family are also connected to the community. Recently, his wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger, led the first-ever Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation (CAFF) Family Day, helping over 400 families through a donation drive to provide resources. Letting that go will be a major part of the decision Giannis Antetokounmpo makes.

He arrived as a teenager and has now built his family in Milwaukee. It’s not easy to make it just about basketball under these circumstances. However, if viewing from a lens of achieving the most success, the former DPOY might have to make a heartbreaking decision soon.

Bucks remain calm as Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors heat up

With his track record, some weight has to be given to Shams Charania’s sources. Currently, the Bucks aren’t favored to do great things. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a heavenly centerpiece, but they have lost the potential to make any major upgrades to their roster. Hence why, several teams around the NBA are ready to pounce.

Charania noted there are many teams that he is aware of that are actually awaiting a decision from Antetokounmpo. Likewise, it’s a frenzy in preparation as it could be one of the biggest trades in modern history.

Yet, inside the Bucks, there seems to be an unusual calmness. During the Summer League, the Bucks’ team president Peter Feigin was rather upbeat when talking about the talisman. “We kind of laugh internally, it’s where we’ve been for 10 years. Giannis loves Milwaukee, Milwaukee loves Giannis. We’re in a good place. We feel great about it. It’s business as usual,” he said on air. That makes one wonder whether a decision has already been made.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has only directly confronted the rumors once. While on stream with IShowSpeed in Greece, he professed his “love” for Milwaukee. When asked about staying, he said “probably”. So it might be a case of Antetokounmpo giving the Bucks time, or the respect of laying out a plan for the immediate future.

However, Charania’s report makes it sound as if the perennial All-Star isn’t really on either side right now. The NBA has seen trades happen late in the offseason in recent times. So whatever the conclusion will be, it is going to be drawn out.

Do you think Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay a Milwaukee Buck? Let us know your views in the comments below.