The Milwaukee Bucks’ season is over, but the questions are just beginning. With rumors swirling about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee, the Bucks’ superstar declined to address the situation following the team’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo, who stated multiple times he wants to play for a perennial championship contender, was asked whether that’s possible with the Bucks. He didn’t want to engage with the question.
Antetokounmpo initially said he didn’t want to get into it, knowing whatever he said would make headlines Wednesday. He then said, “I don’t know, man. I wish I was still playing.”
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Tuesday’s 119-118 loss eliminated the Bucks from the postseason, giving the team its third straight first-round exit in the playoffs. While the Bucks were the lower seed this time around, the team lost in the first round despite earning the No. 1 seed and No. 3 seed the last two seasons.
The future in Milwaukee looks bleak. The Bucks don’t own a first-round pick in this year’s draft, are not a particularly young team and may not have Damian Lillard back next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
That sets up a difficult situation for Bucks general manager Jon Horst, who the team signed to a multi-year extension in April. Antetokounmpo has consistently said he wants to play for a team with championship aspirations. If he no longer believes that’s possible with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo could force Horst’s hand by demanding a trade.
But even if Antetokounmpo is fine sticking it out, it might be in Horst’s best interest to trade away the team’s superstar. Antetokounmpo, 30, would undoubtedly bring back a lot of resources the Bucks could use to turn around their roster quickly. It would be a massive blow to the fanbase to see Antetokounmpo leave, but it might be the best thing for the franchise.
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While Antetokounmpo’s status will be arguably the biggest story of the NBA offseason, his answer Tuesday was lost in the shuffle after some on-court fireworks.
Following the team’s loss, Antetokounmpo got into a heated exchange with Tyrese Haliburton’s father, who taunted Antetokounmpo after the game. Antetokounmpo also got into a verbal altercation with Pacers forward Bennedict Mathurin in a separate post-game incident.
Antetokounmpo addressed the altercations after the game, saying he believes in “being humble in victory.” Haliburton said his father was in the wrong. The Pacers star added he would talk to his dad about the incident.
For Antetokounmpo, those moments could be the last he spends in a Bucks uniform. Despite everything he’s accomplished with the franchise — including leading the team to a championship in 2021 — Tuesday’s on-court incidents would mark a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent run in Milwaukee.
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