“Does anyone else miss [Adrian Wojnarowski]?” Last year, [Giannis Antetokounmpo] took a subtle shot at Shams Charania after an apparent tension grew between them. Since Charania broke news about Giannis having questions about his future, things haven’t been friendly between them.

Months later, Charania was named in the All-Star Celebrity Game roster. And call it fate or Adam Silver trying to bridge the gap between them, Antetokounmpo will coach Charania’s team and he already has a humorous plan in mind for the insider who stirred the pot.

Now that the ball is in his court, the Bucks star is ready to give Charania a taste of his own medicine. When reporters pressed Bucks coach Doc Rivers on Giannis’ plan for Charania, he responded by sharing a classic Giannis joke: “He informed me that he’s going to put Shams on the trading block and listen to offers.”

It all began last year when Charania reported that “Giannis is in the process of figuring out exactly what he wants to do.” According to the ESPN Insider, Antetokounmpo had also listed the New York Knicks as his preferred destination. Milwaukee has been very close to Giannis’ heart. Perhaps the 2021 NBA champion didn’t like someone else speaking on his behalf.

Across his sit‑downs and mid‑season interviews, Giannis pushed back on the idea that he was angling for a trade, making it clear he wanted to shut down that narrative before it gathered more steam. He stated there “will never be a chance” and “never be a moment” where he goes to the Bucks and asks for a trade, stressing that such a move is “not in [his] nature.”

When asked explicitly whether he’d ever requested a trade publicly or privately, he reinforced that message by saying he has “never gone and asked for a trade,” pointing out that even the Bucks’ own comments about only moving him if he asked prove his stance.

At the same time, he acknowledged the business side of the league by adding the familiar caveat that “things can change” in the NBA, without walking back his current commitment.

The two-time MVP then broadened his answer, explaining that his actions—from how hard he plays to how he prepares—show he’s fully invested in the Bucks and the city. He argued that people “discredit” what he does when they twist his words into a desire to leave.

While Charania has shot down any rumor of beef between them, his future with Giannis’ team at the 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game seems to be in serious jeopardy.

However, days before the game, Charania had also made his bid and gave reasons why the Bucks star would want him on the team. “I’m a shooter, I can handle the ball, and I can make my floaters,” he told Hannah Storm on NBA Today.

Moreover, Giannis will have plenty of star power in his corner, with his brothers Thanasis and Alex joining Dodgers MVP Mookie Betts on the coaching staff. On the court, he’ll also be directing a diverse lineup, featuring social media standout Jenna Bendy and former Celtics fan favorite Tacko Fall.

The lighthearted jab lands at a tense moment, as Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks grows increasingly uncertain amid reports that he and the franchise are edging toward a mutual breakup.

However, amid the Bucks exploring best trade options, the two-time MVP still has his heart in Milwaukee and admitted that he still wants to put on the Bucks’ uniform.

Giannis Antetokounmpo still wants to retire in Milwaukee

In 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a lean 18-year-old Giannis. The Bucks had made one of the most profiting decisions in their franchise history. That 18-year-old teenager led them to the first championship in 50 years. But Antetokounmpo’s hunger for success has slowly led him to look somewhere else. Last year, although Antetokounmpo was not happy with Charania’s reporting, reality quickly unfolded.

With both the Bucks and Giannis exploring options, suitors like the Warriors, Heat, and Timberwolves are reportedly lining up with trade offers for the superstar. Even with a separation seeming imminent, Giannis still wants to be in Milwaukee for reasons that go beyond the basketball court.

“I’ve created more memories in this city than in my country,” Antetokounmpo told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The only memory I knew from my country is sell stuff in the street, go to practice, live in fear, protect my brothers as much as I can and be a good kid, be a kind kid…I’ve learned how to be a father. I got married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…My father is buried here.

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“If you ask me what do I really want, deep down in my heart? I want to be a Milwaukee Buck until I retire and win a championship here. End of sentence.”

During the offseason, Giannis made it clear that he was focused on winning another championship before he retires. He told Owczarski that if that’s not possible with the Bucks, it is reasonable for him to look somewhere else to fulfil his dream.