Over the course of his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo has remained committed to winning with the Milwaukee Bucks. But with a crucial offseason on the horizon, Antetokounmpo may finally be ready to see what the rest of the league has to offer.
Antetokounmpo is reportedly open to exploring other teams outside the Bucks for the first time in his career, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That’s a significant shift for Antetokounmpo, who remained loyal to the Bucks throughout his career, even when he’s had opportunities to leave.
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But the future in Milwaukee looks bleak. After yet another first-round playoff exit, the Bucks don’t have the resources they need to get Antetokounmpo help. The Bucks don’t own a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and won’t control where they pick in the first round until 2031. On top of that, Damian Lillard is expected to miss significant time next season after sustaining an Achilles injury during the playoffs.
Antetokounmpo leaving Milwaukee isn’t a guarantee. He will reportedly meet with the Bucks to discuss the team’s future. If the franchise can sell Antetokounmpo on its vision, it’s possible to decides to continue his career in Milwaukee.
That may sound unlikely given the current state of the Bucks’ roster, but that hasn’t stopped Antetokounmpo in the past. Twice in his career — 2020 and 2023 — Antetokounmpo signed max deals to remain in Milwaukee. In both instances, many thought Antetokounmpo would explore other opportunities. That didn’t happen, and it’s worked out well for both the player and the team.
Following that first supermax extension, Antetokounmpo helped lead the Bucks to an NBA championship. The Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the 2020-21 NBA Finals, giving Antetokounmpo his first championship ring. He averaged 35.2 points during the series, earning him Finals MVP honors.
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The Bucks have remained a strong regular-season team since then, but early playoff exits have resulted in disappointment. The Bucks reached the Eastern Conference semifinal during the 2021-22 season, but have not progressed past the first round the past three seasons. The Bucks were the higher seed in two of those three instances.
While Antetokounmpo has remained loyal to the Bucks throughout his career, he’s also stressed the desire to play for a team with championship aspirations. Antetokounmpo made that point as recently as April, when he appeared on his brother’s podcast and said he would be “letting himself down” if he didn’t win another ring.
The Bucks have mostly been able to satisfy that need for Antetokounmpo to this point. Key trades for Jrue Holiday and Lillard occurred just before Antetokounmpo signed his two max extensions in Milwaukee, which may have convinced Antetokounmpo to stay. While another big move could potentially convince Antetokounmpo to stick it out with the Bucks, it’s unclear whether the team has the resources to make it happen again. Those two trades are the reason to team future draft capital is in a bad spot.
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Trading Antetokounmpo is the best way for the Bucks to recoup some of those lost picks. Given Antetokounmpo’s age and numbers — the 30-year-old averaged 30.4 points and 11.9 rebounds — he should bring back a significant haul.
But parting with Antetokounmpo — who has spent his entire 12-year NBA career with the Bucks — would be painful. Given everything Antetokounmpo has done for the franchise, shipping him out might be a blow to fans. It also might be the best thing for both sides.
The Bucks have found ways to keep Antetokounmpo multiple times when it seemed like his run in Milwaukee was over. It’s possible the team pulls off the feat one more time, but selling him on the future of the franchise this time around might prove far more difficult than it has in the past.
This news was originally published on this post .
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