The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves confronting a bleak reality, sparking the notion across the league that parting ways with Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered a very real possibility. According to Jake Fischer (subscription required), whispers around the league suggest that Milwaukee’s best player could be on the move, not just this summer but potentially before the February 5 trade deadline.
The franchise now faces its toughest decision
Before a recent calf injury that’s expected to sideline Antetokounmpo for roughly four to six weeks, the Bucks were already struggling mightily, dropping six of their last 10 games and sitting well outside a comfortable playoff position at 18-26. What makes that slump particularly glaring is how starkly the team’s success and failures have mirrored Giannis’s availability.
Milwaukee’s ability to contend in games has virtually evaporated without Antetokounmpo on the floor, and the team has lacked the depth or complementary star power to pick up the slack (3-11 record with him out of the lineup). He is expected to miss at least the next 11 games (could be as many as 18). Things are likely headed from bad to worse for this Bucks team.
Giannis’s frustration has also crept into public discourse. After a loss earlier this month, he criticized his squad’s “selfish” play. While he has stressed that requesting a trade “is not in my nature,” the combination of the team’s poor performance and injuries has led many teams in the league to believe that a Giannis exit would not only be possible but increasingly likely.
With all that is going on, Milwaukee’s trade chips are limited. Offers centered around players like Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis have not materialized. The Bucks have just one tradeable first round pick (2031) to use to improve the roster. For a team with so many holes, those assets won't be enough to yield a return that makes this team a contender.
If trading your only available draft asset isn't enough to drastically improve the roster, and with Antetokounmpo's future up in the air, it is likely best for the team to stand pat. This is a decision that will ultimately lead this team down a path to the draft lottery instead of the NBA playoffs. With Giannis continuously speaking about wanting to contend, that decision may not sit well with the Bucks star.
With that in mind, painful as it would be for Bucks fans, the best move for the franchise and its superstar may be parting ways. Antetokounmpo’s exit would be a major loss regardless of the return. If it leads to a cleaner rebuild and an opportunity for Giannis to contend in his prime, it might finally offer a feasible way for both sides to win in what has been a difficult and disappointing season.