The many, many layers to the NBA's Eastern Conference trade market

Detailed extensively via The Jake Fischer Latest

The way the schedule loosens in December to accommodate the NBA Cup's knockout rounds afforded yours truly an opportunity to make a rare weeklong swing through California.

Some of it was a personal trip — starting with a brutal decision to go watch my Eagles fall in overtime to the Chargers at SoFi Stadium— but it also provided me with the chance to see the Lakers play host to San Antonio in the Cup quarterfinals. Then I sneaked to the Bay Area for my maiden visit to Chase Center to watch Golden State entertain Minnesota in a game that only got scheduled after those two teams failed to reach the tournament's knockout stages.

I have to say it was heartening to trawl the sidelines before those games and get such good feedback on the reporting we're doing. Front office executives, coaches, fellow media folk … there were many encouraging words about the way we chronicle NBA Trade Season. It was truly gratifying to hear that kind of response and it made me want to pump out more of what I'm hearing about the league's transaction marketplace as the dialogue between teams and player representatives escalates between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

There is almost always a huge amount of discussion and haggling before you see that transaction tweet that announces a trade to the world. Parting with a player you drafted can be especially taxing and often requires months of conversations and gut-checks before a deal is ultimately struck. You're just not going to get the full picture just from following aggregation accounts.

Let's dig into some of those discussions and start with the latest in Milwaukee and the player who has become synonymous with this trade cycle … whether he actually switches teams this winter or not.

Stein has written it. I've written it.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has not formally asked for a trade.

The Bucks, meanwhile, have taken a new approach.