When in doubt, move all of your future assets to bring in an established star and make the face of the franchise happy. Rinse and repeat. That's the formula the Milwaukee Bucks have used during the past half-decade to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in town. It worked with Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, while it bought the Bucks another year with Myles Turner. Now, they are bound to try again.
No matter how many rumors come out that Giannis Antetokounmpo may want to play elsewhere after this disastrous season, the Bucks have refused to cave. Their plan of attack this summer will certainly revolve around trying to get Giannis some help and showing him that they can field a contending unit, as they have for the last near-decade, by sacrificing all future assets.
At the same time, they risk destroying their future if it backfires.
Bucks must be wise with their desirable draft picks
On draft night, the Milwaukee Bucks will suddenly have three first -round picks to trade. That's far from chump change, especially considering their 2026 pick is looking increasingly valuable. Despite what the talking heads think, the front office does have a shot to shift around this roster and put pieces in place to get this team back on the right track, starting with bringing in a new coach.
Yet, if the Bucks trade those picks, they have to make it count. When they sold the farm for Holiday in 2020, they were immediately vindicated because they won a title in his first season. Yet, big moves for Lillard and Turner have not turned out the same, leaving the Bucks without control of their own picks for the foreseeable future and being tied to a historic amount of dead money.
If the Milwaukee Bucks hit send on a blockbuster deal and it once again backfires, not only will they have to dig themselves out of the hole left in the aftermath of the Lillard and Turner moves, but they will also face an uphill battle with this third move. Trying to get out of mediocrity with no picks, little spending money, and no superstar would be brutal.
It could be the type of catastrophe that sets them back for the next decade or so.
Bucks must be cautious as they navigate dangerous waters
The Milwaukee Bucks will ask themselves two questions that go hand in hand this summer. No. 1: Will trading for [blank] help us contend? No. 2: Will trading for [blank] convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee? If the answer is no to either, the team should hold off. Those picks are some of the most valuable in the NBA and are worth a legitimate difference-maker, such as 2020 Jrue Holiday.
Who might be on the market? Kawhi Leonard's name has been making the rounds since the NBA Trade Deadline in February. Ja Morant had been linked to the Milwaukee Bucks heavily around that same time period. Perhaps someone else will become available after their team flames out in the postseason. No matter what, the Bucks will keep an open mind and weigh their options.
The front office has seen both sides of the coin. Sometimes, the all-in trade works. Sometimes, it does not. Lately, it has not. This time around, they have to make sure it will work if they put the franchise's future on the table.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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