It remains one of those massive question marks at the moment: Could the Milwaukee Bucks really trade Giannis Antetokounmpo?
In the short term, there isn't expected to be a deal. The start of the NBA regular season is less than a week away, and Giannis is still in Milwaukee.
But ESPN's Jamal Collier writes that "a day of reckoning" could be coming. He says that if the Bucks don't make it past the opening round of the playoffs, Antetokounmpo could accelerate his exit.
"Antetokounmpo has doubled down on his desire to compete for championships with an unwillingness to accept anything less," Collier writes. "It has put the pressure on the Bucks this season to prove he can win another championship in Milwaukee. For a team that has lost in the first round in three consecutive seasons, not advancing further in the playoffs could lead to a day of reckoning."
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The whole offseason has been filled with Antetokounmpo trade rumors.
Could it be to the New York Knicks? How about the Golden State Warriors? On and on the speculation has gone.
None of it, to this point, has resulted in an actual trade.
Antetokounmpo's brother, Alex, recently signed a two-way deal with the Bucks. For now, the brothers are sticking in Milwaukee.
Soon enough, though, Giannis is going to make one final career push to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy again.
It's up to the Bucks to prove to their superstar that they can get the job done again in Milwaukee.
If he doesn't believe that, Antetokounmpo could be gone sooner rather than later.
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