With Damian Lillard set to miss significant time and few assets to improve marginally, many have said the Milwaukee Bucks could pitch the idea of a gap year to Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2025-26 as the franchise aims to keep him in town. ESPN's Brian Windhorst has explained why there is one massive hole in that approach.
"The gap year idea has a giant hole in it: They don’t control their draft pick. So even if they were able to just sort of retrofit and Giannis maybe took it a little easy for a year, like we saw with Steph Curry's situation in Golden State after he had an injury, and they had injuries on their roster, they got a top pick out of that. The Bucks don’t have that option."
Indeed, following the 2019-20 NBA season, the Warriors, who were mauled by injuries, earned the second pick in the next draft. While James Wiseman, the player they used it on, didn't pan out, they had a chance to add a player who could have helped them moving forward. The Milwaukee Bucks currently don't have that pick, making a gap year to retool a much harder sell.
The Bucks must sell Antetokounmpo on remaining competitive
At this point, Giannis Antetokounmpo has made no clear demands. He's a Milwaukee Buck, and he's never been shy about how much he wants things to stay that way. However, there's no doubt that of all the times these rumors have popped up about his future, it feels more likely this time. Some of that could involve Lillard, his co-star, being set to miss time, hindering the team's ability to contend.
That's the problem with a gap year. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a competitor, and he's always made it clear that his desire to win trumps all. He likely doesn't want to waste a year of his prime hoping things will be different in a year. In the past, the Milwaukee Bucks have traded for a star - Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard - to make it clear this team is all in on maximizing their title window.
This summer, their odds of doing so are slim. With the New Orleans Pelicans having the rights to swap 2026 first rounders with the Bucks from said Jrue Holiday trade, the odds of adding a high-end piece in the draft are even slimmer. Taking things easy next year is not an option. One way or another, this team must find a way to contend if they want to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy.
Unless the Phoenix Suns are just somehow blown away by a Milwaukee offer for Kevin Durant, there likely won't be a blockbuster trade to get Giannis help in the Bucks' future. Still, they will have more flexibility this offseason than they have in recent years, which could be useful in adding and retaining talent. A competitive roster is still in the cards for the Bucks.
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