Rivers seems to disagree with some top reports.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been the center of NBA drama all season, and the noise around Giannis Antetokounmpo's future has not slowed down.
But head coach Doc Rivers wants everyone to know that despite all the rumors, the Bucks were never close to pulling the trigger on a deal for their franchise star.
Rivers went on Run It Back and fired a shot directly at ESPN's Shams Charania, who has been at the forefront of the Giannis trade saga since the fall.
"Not close. That's the point," Rivers said. "If you read all the stuff, and I hate to keep throwing Shams under the bus but that's what he was upset at. It was nowhere near that we were about to do anything. For me as a coach it bothered me because I know what was going on. Was there talk? Absolutely."
The Contradicting Reports
That last part matters. Rivers is not saying there were zero conversations about moving Antetokounmpo, because there obviously were.
More than a dozen teams reached out to Milwaukee before the February 5 deadline, and the Heat reportedly came close with a package built around Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware.
What Rivers is pushing back on is the idea that a trade was imminent and that the Bucks were about to ship out a two-time MVP mid-season.
Charania's reporting throughout the year painted a picture of a franchise ready to move on, with Giannis and his agent allegedly pressuring ownership to facilitate a deal.
But Giannis himself told The Athletic's Eric Nehm he wanted to stay and finish his career in Milwaukee, and the Bucks keeping him at the deadline backed that up.
A Season Full of Chaos
Even with Rivers and Giannis both downplaying the trade talk, there is no hiding how bad things have gotten in Milwaukee.
The Bucks sit at 31-49 and have been eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2016.
Antetokounmpo has been limited to 36 games this year because of calf and knee injuries, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists, and he has not played since March 15 after hyperextending his left knee against the Pacers.
The dysfunction has gone beyond the court too.
Charania's recent tell-all report detailed a fractured locker room and a coaching staff struggling to connect with players, including a team meeting where Rivers told his players to look up his resume and "Google me."
That comment did not sit well internally and only added to the growing disconnect between the coaching staff and the roster.
GM Jon Horst has said both trading Giannis and keeping him are viable options this summer, and co-owner Wes Edens has drawn a hard line that Giannis will either sign a $275 million extension or be traded.
Rivers may be telling the truth that the Bucks were never close at the deadline, but that does not mean they will be able to say the same thing once the offseason begins.