The hottest prospect of the trade window, Giannis Antetokounmpo, made a personal announcement on the deadline day as he shared the launch of his newest pair of sneakers named ‘Freak 7LX’, which marks the seventh installment of his collaboration with Nike. The Milwaukee Bucks star shared the announcement poster on his Instagram story with a black-and-white caution poster.

This announcement comes after the Bucks have decided to keep hold of their franchise cornerstone for the time being, according to sources via ESPN’s Shams Charania. However, this does not mean that the 31-year-old will spend his foreseeable future in Wisconsin. This is just a short roadblock in his move away from Milwaukee. He is expected to be traded in the offseason when teams have more clarity on their draft pick compensation, and the market potentially widens as some contenders fall short in the playoffs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo joined hands with Nike for the seventh edition of his Freak shoeline in July 2025, named ‘Giannis Freak 7.’ The Freak 7LX is the brand new edition that dropped recently. The shoe resonates with the young and energetic ballers as it is in neon green. The silhouette is made for athletes who are always working on their game, featuring a Cushlon 3.0 midsole, a zonally engineered “ANTETOKOUNMPO” traction pattern, and a heel lockdown system inspired by Greek sandals.

Currently, Giannis is out with a calf injury and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, with the Bucks head coach Doc Rivers stating that there’s no timeline for his return.

 The Bucks share cryptic post after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga ends for this season

Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed the headlines during this trade window, with news from various outlets and insiders suggesting that the 31-year-old is ready to switch allegiances from the Bucks. But eventually, the Greek Freak has remained in Wisconsin as the Bucks have shifted their focus to smaller deals.

Following this update, the Milwaukee Bucks admin posted a cryptic message summarizing the entire trade saga with a yawning emoji. This post comes only half an hour after NBA Insider Shams Charania updated that the Bucks “indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline.”

The Bucks understood that, though there’s a lot of hype around Giannis and most teams would love to have him in the roster, only a few can muster the capital to make a move for the 31-year-old. So the market for the former MVP was gradually dwindling as most of them couldn’t work it out financially without going into complicated three or four-team trades.

Top Stories

Jaxson Hayes vs Mascot: Everything You Need to Know About the Entire Episode of Altercation, Suspension and More

Fever Ownership Nowhere on Sophie Cunningham’s “Most Involved” WNBA List

Anthony Edwards’ Worrying Announcement Raises Concern Amid Giannis Rumor

LeBron James-Steph Curry Team-Up Gets Major Boost After Warriors’ Kristaps Porzingis Trade

“Forgot He Plays Basketball”: NBA Legend Blasts Warriors’ Kristaps Porzingis Trade Amid Jimmy Butler Rumor

The likes of the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks were also reportedly interested in the Greek Freak. But one by one, they made other trade deals and moved away from his pursuit. The Warriors, who hold a massive amount of draft capital, made a move for Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. Meanwhile, the Knicks lacked draft capital, something which the Bucks deeply wanted in return.

The Timberwolves and the Heat were the only two teams capable of financially matching the demands, but rather than going into a bidding war, the Bucks opted to wait until the offseason, gaining more flexibility when the salary commitments ease up and roster constraints loosen. This may see more teams actively participating in the trade fight as both the Knicks and the Warriors will be in a much better position in the summer than they are now.

Also, this extended period until the summer will be an opportunity for the Bucks to convince their franchise cornerstone to continue with them in Wisconsin. They will hope for some luck in the NBA Draft Lottery. The fact that Giannis never officially asked for a trade to the Bucks gives them an outside chance to convince him to stay. But in likelihood, the trade is only stalled until the summer with the hope of securing even more draft capital and other assets in return for the two-time MVP.