The Toronto Raptors are expected to be one of the "chief pursuers" of Giannis Antetkounmpo if he becomes a free agent in 2021, sources tell John Hollinger of The Athletic. 

The Raptors have kept their cap minimal for 2021 beyond their extension for Pascal Siakam, who would presumably be a player Antetkounmpo would want to pair with if he had interest in joining the franchise.

While the Raptors are maintaining their future flexibility, it is not yet clear what they intend to this season with players such as Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a limited trade market for Chris Paul after they acquired him with the intention to flip him to another team.

The Miami Heat were connected to a trade for Paul, but the Milwaukee Bucks were a franchise he wanted to join as they remain contenders built around the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I had heard he wanted to go to Milwaukee," said Ryen Russillo on The Woj Pod. "Of course you'd want to go play with Giannis."

Paul has two seasons remaining on his four-year, $160 million deal.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to believe he can vastly improve his game. Antetokounmpo has previously said he's only at 60 percent of his potential.

“I can get a lot better,” Antetokounmpo told Sam Amick of The Athletic while nodding at his locker after the win on Thursday night. “As I said in the summer, as long as I believe that I can get better, that’s all that matters. And I know that I can get better, because – as you said – I had travels (against the Rockets), I wasn’t able to score in the first quarter, wasn’t able to get a rhythm, wasn’t able to find my teammates. There’s so many things where I can get better. I’m not going to be perfect, but I can get better. It doesn’t matter what people say throughout the league, because a lot of people don’t believe that I can get better. But I do believe that I can get better."

While Antetokounmpo is committed to getting better, he's not particularly interested in defending his MVP title.

“I really don’t,” he insisted. “We’ve got 81 more games to go. And as I said last year, if we take care of our business, everything will take care of itself.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo claims he was misquoted when interviewed by Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse and student Melcolm Ruffin for their co-authored case study on the franchise.

The following quote was attributed to Antetokounmpo:

“I want the Bucks to build a winning culture. So far, we have been doing great, and, if this lasts, there’s no other place I want to be. But if we’re underperforming in the NBA next year, deciding whether to sign becomes a lot more difficult.”

Antetokounmpo flatly denied supplying that quote.

“As I’ve said, there’s going to be a lot of stories that are going to come out," Antetokounmpo said. "Everybody knows how sensitive this timing is and they’re going to come out with a bunch of stories and all that.

"My girlfriend, Mariah, asked me yesterday, ‘Did you actually say this?’ I said, ‘If you kind of read the last quote, I’ve never used those words in my life.’ But I’m not going to talk about this, I’m just going to focus on this season and I’ve said in the past, it’s disrespectful, man. We’re facing the Houston Rockets, a championship-level team tonight. …

"We have a goal which is play 'til the end and I’m not going to talk about my free agency at all this season, I’m not going to distract my teammates. The attention’s not going to be on me, it’s going to be on this team and what we’ve got to do to win.”

Bucks co-owner Jamie Dinan said he doesn't believe Antetokounmpo was misquoted.

“I wasn’t in the room when (Antetokounmpo) said it,” Dinan said, “so I don’t know if they goaded him a little bit to kind of get some conflict.”

Dinan added: “He clearly said it because she (Elberse) said he said it and she taped it.”

The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised their third-year option for the 20-21 season on Donte DiVincenzo.

The Bucks selected DiVincenzo in the first round in 2018.

Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed in a spring 2019 interview that signing an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks will be "a lot more difficult" if the team struggles this season.

Antetokounmpo made the candid remarks during a spring 2019 interview with Anita Elberse, who is a Harvard Business School professor.

Antetokounmp can sign a five-year, $253 million contract extension this offseason.

"I want the Bucks to build a winning culture," Elberse and her co-author, master's student Melcolm Ruffin, quoted Antetokounmpo as saying. "So far, we have been doing great, and, if this lasts, there's no other place I want to be. But if we're underperforming in the NBA next year, deciding whether to sign becomes a lot more difficult."

The Milwaukee Bucks waived Rayjon Tucker, Trevor Lacey and Jemerrio Jones.

Tucker averaged 3.3 points in three preseason games.

Lacey and Jones were recently signed and did not appear in any preseason games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted that his game wasn't ready during the Milwaukee Bucks' loss to the Toronto Raptors in last season's Eastern Conference Final.

“When you get to that moment, maybe I wasn't ready. Maybe my game wasn't ready. But that's OK. As long as you learn from it,” Antetokounmpo told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports.

The league MVP said that he learned a lot from playing against Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs.

“I learned a lot from him. He knocked down free throws. He was calm. When double-teams came, he was swinging the ball but getting it right back. He was aggressive. He was calm but he was on a mission," observed Antetokounmpo.

General manager Jon Horst added that Antetokounmpo will continue to improve as he hits his prime.

“He's not even in his prime yet. Your prime ages, it's a little subjective — 26 to 30, 27 to 29. He's not there yet. Of course, he's not there. ... I know he thinks a lot. I think a lot. His shooting will continue to improve.”

The Milwaukee Bucks announced the signing of Jemerrio Jones.

The 24-year-old averaged 4.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in six games with the Lakers last season.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Trevor Lacey.

Lacey, 27, played the last two seasons in Russia with Lokomotiv Kuban after starting his professional career in the Italian League in 2015. He played collegiately at Alabama (2011-13) and North Carolina State (2014-15), where he earned Second Team All-ACC honors after averaging 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Wolfpack.