Giannis Antetokounmpo Sparks Fan Frenzy With Cryptic Tweet

As NBA Draft week and the start of free agency draw closer, trade speculation has increasingly dominated the conversation — and the league’s most sought-after superstar has now added fuel with a mysterious social media message.

‘GOD,’ Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wrote to open the post, ‘I trusted you at the beginning, and I will continue to trust you throughout.’

The message was accompanied by a black-and-white image showing Antetokounmpo from behind, walking away from the camera in the opposite direction.

Given that Antetokounmpo has been linked to potential interest from Boston and Miami, many of the Greek Freak’s followers quickly interpreted the post as a possible goodbye.

‘We had a good run,’ one Bucks supporter posted, sharing a 2021 photo of Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee’s championship season.

‘Thank you for inspiring me and so many others,’ another fan wrote. ‘You’re my basketball GOAT.’

While Antetokounmpo remains among the NBA’s elite players and continues to be a fixture in All-Star discussions, uncertainty around his long-term future has grown amid Milwaukee’s recent downturn, the franchise’s move from Doc Rivers to Taylor Jenkins as head coach, and questions surrounding his contract outlook.

Currently he’s entering the final two years of his three-year, $175 million extension. But the 31-year-old NBA champion, two-time MVP and future Hall of Famer becomes eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension on October 1 if he remains in Milwaukee, or six months later if he’s traded to a new team.

Rather than continuing to pay Antetokounmpo north of $60 million annually, and building a championship-caliber roster around him, the Bucks now appear ready for a rebuild, according to multiple reports.

‘The conversation will be simple: Where does [Giannis] want to be moved, and where will he sign long term?’ one source told ESPN in May.

ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that Antetokounmpo is willing to sign an extension with the Heat or the Celtics.

‘There were a ton of teams that made offers, that have robust interest in Giannis, but a high, high level it comes down to Giannis for a guy that’s got one year left guaranteed on his contract, you have a lot of control on your future,’ Charania told ESPN’s Pat McAfee on Monday.

‘… They need to know that Giannis will sign long-term, and right now, the Heat and the Celtics are the only two teams involved that have gotten a commitment from Giannis that he’s willing to sign long-term,’ Charania continued. ‘That’s allowed Milwaukee really to leverage both teams against each other and now they have a decision to make and both deals are totally different.’

As NBA Insider Jake Fischer has reported, Miami’s offer is based around guard Tyler Herro, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and center Kel’el Ware, while Boston would offer All-Star Jaylen Brown and a number of other assets.

In both scenarios, a third team could be included in any finalized deal.

Such a trade would be difficult for a fan base and player who have grown understandably fond of one another. Antetokounmpo’s brothers Thanasis and Alex have both played for Milwaukee, which has come to treat the 6ft 11in Giannis as something of a city savior.

‘My plan is to be here for the rest of my career,’ Antetokounmpo told reporters in January. ‘If they don’t want me … I’m not the one in charge. I am an employee.’

A month later, Antetokounmpo doubled down to ESPN: ‘You will never hear me say I don’t want to be a Milwaukee Buck.’

But the math for everyone appears to be changing following the Bucks’ disastrous 32-50 finish. While Antetokounmpo can now turn his attention to winning another title in a second NBA city, the Bucks are seeking a major young talent and a surplus of draft picks, according to Charania.