Trades all follow the same pattern and this one is as well.
First, everyone acknowledges the player is available. Then, after some point when the possible trade partners become clear, the team with the asset always floats the idea that they could just keep the player. It's just another way of trying to drive the price up. That's where we are now.
Remember when Griff tried to make it seem like we'd keep Anthony Davis and try to sell him on playing with Zion?
Remember when Rockets were going to just keep James Hardin?
Remember when the Nets were going to just keep James Hardin?
There were reports that the Spurs actually weren't going to trade Murray.
There were reports, after it was well known that Gobert was available, that actually Ainge was going to keep the core together.
This is the playbook. And going back as far as the Chris Paul trade, the return for a star is always picks and young lottery ticket players that could take the next step and be stars, but haven't taken the next step yet. That's what AD, CP3, Hardin (from HOU to Nets), Paul George, and Gobert were all traded for. I can't think of a trade where an All Star, young player with potential, and multiple draft picks were all traded for a single player. Shaq to Miami didn't even fetch that kind of haul.