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Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to respond to the team's decision to keep him with a post shared on his X account following the conclusion of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday (February 5).
"Legends don’t chase. They attract," Antetokounmpo wrote, along with a clip of Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm not leaving" speech from The Wolf of Wallstreet.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Bucks informed other NBA teams that they planned to keep Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline earlier in the day.
"The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo, 31, through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on his X account.
The decision comes one week after reports that Antetokounmpo was ready to explore trade options. The former NBA MVP had previously claimed that he never demanded a trade and wants to finish his career with the franchise while speaking to the Athletic last month.
"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, 'I want a trade,'" he said. "That's not in my nature."
In December, Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis were reportedly having conversations about whether staying in Milwaukee or pursuing a move elsewhere is best for his NBA future.
"My plan is to be here for the rest of my career," Antetokounmpo said via the Athletic. "If they don't want me ... I'm not the one in charge. I am an employee."
Charania had previously reported that Antetokounmpo bought into the vision of Bucks general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers, but sources claimed he'd examine the team's first 25 or so games before making a long-term decision on his NBA future. Milwaukee was 9-13 at the time of the initial report and is currently 18-27, ranking 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, two spots lower than the final play-in seed.
Sources told Charania that the losing was frustrating for Antetokounmpo, as well as members of the front office, coaching staff and roster, but one source specified that "the writing is on the wall" and expects the franchise player to move on unless there's a dramatic shift in the team's season. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021, one year after winning back-to-back NBA MVP awards.
The nine-time All-Star is currently averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists 30 games of the 2025-26 NBA season.