Milwaukee's latest draft goal is sending a difficult message about where it envisions the franchise going forward, and it could make all the difference in Giannis Antetokounmpo's market. Because teams around the league are taking notice: the former 2021 champions are suddenly asking for more draft picks ahead of this coming NBA Draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks have signalled they're going all in on draft capital
According to the latest dispatch of The Stein Line on Substack (subscription required), NBA insider Jake Fischer laid out why it may already be an inevitability at this point that next season will begin with the Greek Freak in different colors. And it has nothing to do with anything Giannis has said or done in the past few weeks.
"The Bucks continue to signal to rival teams and agents that they plan to have as many as three first-round picks in this draft...two more than their current allotment. Which should help explain why so many rival teams have been projecting that Milwaukee will at last push ahead with plans to trade its Face of the Franchise," Fischer wrote.
It might be unavoidable at this point. Whether they're explicit about it or not, Milwaukee's pursuit of draft capital is inextricably linked to the Giannis trade market. And by making it clear they are open for business and hungry for picks, the Bucks are subtly pressuring suitors like the Heat (who hold the 13th overall pick and are reportedly willing to give it up to land Antetokounmpo's services) and the Celtics to sweeten their offers.
The logic here is obvious: teams don't aggressively chase three first-rounders because they're one piece away. They do it because they think they need multiple shots at changing their future. A team that feels it will have a two-time MVP on the roster would not be calling teams looking for ways to stockpile young and unproven talent.
Perhaps the writing was already on the wall when the initial list of the players they worked out dropped. A team looking to run it back one last time would have gone for older, more experienced players who can win now like Yaxel Landeborg. Instead, the Bucks were working out names, particularly guards, that had more upside than floor.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo era is coming to a close, for better or worse
If the Bucks are truly all-in on rebuilding and replenishing their war chest of picks starting with this year's draft, then the foregone conclusion is Giannis Antetokounmpo might actually genuinely be on his way out of the 414 for the first time in this era of Bucks basketball.
But if all this is true, the positive takeaway is that the Bucks are truly preparing for life after Giannis. It's tough, but at the very least, there is a plan in place to keep the franchise moving forward even after it loses its superstar.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee has been nothing short of historic, but the front office's latest moves suggest they are already looking at the horizon. They're officially charting course for life after the Greek Freak, and for the first time in years, the plan appears to be in motion.
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