It's over. After thirteen years of ups and downs, Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer the face of the Milwaukee Bucks after being traded to South Beach. And if rumors are true, that decision came from none other than Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam.
As we know, the eleventh-hour decision came down to the long-term assets of Miami versus the sheer star power offered by Boston in Jaylen Brown. But according to NBA insider Kevin O'Connor, Bucks owner Jimmy Haslam was a "driving force in taking the Heat deal for Giannis over Boston’s offer."
"Haslam didn’t want to risk Jaylen Brown wanting out of Milwaukee in a year after dealing with Giannis and Myles Garrett trade demands. Haslam wanted certainty, and the Miami deal provided more of that with more total assets in return to Milwaukee," O'Connor reported in a tweet.
The Milwaukee Bucks chose the safer option for the first time in years
Jon Horst and his front office are no strangers to taking risks. From Antetokounmpo himself to Thon Maker to, most recently, AJ Johnson, they've always pulled the trigger on high-reward uncertainty rather than taking the obvious choices in front of them. But this time, they made the cleaner choice after an entire era of risk-taking in the name of winning.
In doing so, Jimmy Haslam just made what will turn out to be the defining decision of this next era of Bucks basketball. And may have revealed exactly what kind of owner he is.
As this writer has already pointed out, this move is just the latest in what seems to be a near-total philosophical shift from within the Bucks organization. Gone are the days of taking every risk possible in the name of winning. From here on out, the Bucks have to be more systematic about putting together the pieces they need to return to championship contention.
It seems as though there were differing approaches at play among the Bucks brass. NBA insider Shams Charania reported over at ESPN's Get Up that if the Bucks were to Jaylen Brown, he would be staying in town and not be rerouted anywhere else. O'Connor also reported that the Bucks "want to remain competitive next season."
But for better or worse, it was perhaps Haslam's desire for a more certain return and the vision of a total reset post-Giannis Antetokounmpo that won out. And for that, Milwaukee has two first-round picks in this upcoming draft, along with two young pieces in Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis. That's not a bad return for a team that just lost its best player in franchise history.
Miami's package for Antetokounmpo launches the Bucks into a clean rebuild
Haslam has had his shortcomings in pulling the plug too early, as we've seen in his other teams. But in this case, going for sustainability over championship upside was simply the better choice. Think about it: where could the Bucks realistically have gone with Jaylen Brown as their best player in a surging Eastern Conference landscape?
Jimmy Haslam's latest decision as owner will go on to define Milwaukee Bucks basketball for years. And regardless of where you stand on Jaylen Brown and his possible fit, one thing is certain. The Bucks' path towards a rebuild is now cleaner.
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