Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - Giannis Antetokounmpo (#34) hugs Jrue Holiday (#21) of the Milwaukee Bucks after being defeated by the Boston Celtics 109-81 in Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

The Milwaukee Bucks completed the Damian Lillard trade in what most see as a move to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay.

However, it appears the Greek Freak was never consulted about the move since it involved his close friend, Jrue Holiday.

"He literally played no role," Adrian Wojnarowski revealed on ESPN via "Talkin NBA" on Thursday, September 28.

"In fact, John Horst, Milwaukee's GM, he did not bring this trade idea or sign-off on it to Giannis Antetokounmpo because Jrue Holiday was involved... he did not want to put that on Giannis Antetokounmpo and have that on his conscience."

Lillard's arrival addresses Antetokounmpo's desire to know if the Bucks were committed to winning. The NBA trade proves that they are, SI.com reported.

However, the impact of sacrificing a good friend to make that happen tosses a monkey wrench into the equation. Will Antetokounmpo feel hurt or take it personally? On a professional level, it should not.

Also, it was a huge gamble for the Bucks, considering most knew that the All-Star guard only had one team in mind - the Miami Heat. So far, all is quiet on whether Lillard is content with the move to the Bucks.

Bucks pressured to win NBA title

After the Damian Lillard trade, the Bucks are tipped as favorites to win the Eastern Conference. But overall, the pressure will be on Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to win it all, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports noted.

While they now have better chances of making it to the NBA Finals, it doesn't end there. They have to prove that the Antetokounmpo-Lillard investment is worth all the trouble and win another NBA title convincingly.