After months of waiting, guessing, and refreshing timelines, NBA fans finally got clarity on the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation — and a lot of them didn’t love how it ended.
On the final day of the trade deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Milwaukee wasn’t moving Giannis. The Bucks, according to Shams, had let teams know they were keeping the Greek Freak through the deadline and would focus on other moves instead.
That update landed hard.
Not because Giannis’s staying is shocking on its own, but because of how much noise surrounded the idea of him leaving. With all the buildup, the ending felt abrupt to many NBA fans.
@LTee64 reacted with frustration, saying, “so all them tweets were for nothing? bring back Woj.”
so all them tweets were for nothing? bring back Woj
— LTee (@LTee64) February 5, 2026
@ArtTakesNote went straight at Shams, adding, “How bad did this hurt you to tweet? You’ve been pushing a Giannis trade for years lmao.”
Still, not everyone thought Milwaukee made the wrong call.
@Btomzz backed the decision, saying, “That’s the right call! You don’t trade a once-in-a-generation player because things get tough. You build around him and fix the pieces.”
Even with the trade talk over, questions remain. The Bucks still haven’t given a timetable for Giannis’ return from his calf strain. He’s staying — that part is clear — but when he’s back on the floor is still up in the air.
“Woj never got bullied like this”: NBA fans double down on Doc Rivers’ mockery of Shams Charania
While NBA fans were still reacting to the news, Doc Rivers decided to lighten the moment.
For Rivers, the rumors weren’t just background noise. Losing Giannis would’ve changed everything. So when the speculation finally died, he didn’t hide the relief — or the humor.
After Milwaukee’s 141-137 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Rivers addressed the situation during his postgame press conference.
“He [Giannis] did inform me that he’s gonna put Shams on the trading block today, and he’s just going to listen to offers,” joked Rivers. “So I’m just going to make that announcement right now.”
That line immediately made the rounds.
@jason23lake said, “Woj never got bullied like this.”
@BentonMani added, “This might be Doc’s best moment as head coach for the Bucks.”
@JM_455999 pointed out the irony, saying, “This is hilarious and well deserved for shams, but this is also even funnier considering the Bucks are not good, and fans are clamoring for Doc to get fired.”
For now, the saga is over. Giannis is still in Milwaukee. The deadline has passed. And Shams, for once, ended trade season as the punchline — at least until the next rumor cycle starts.
