After trading Giannis Antetokounmpo and having to wait several years before they have full control of their own draft picks again, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a difficult spot. It feels like it will be a few years at the bare minimum before they are back in the contending picture. That's before the NBA potentially hits them with a punishment for the Gary Trent Jr. controversy, which could deepen their woes.
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective, ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks shared their thoughts on the situation, as well as some insight. It's not good for Milwaukee.
"Everybody in the league expects a guilty finding," Windhorst said. "If they are found guilty, there are going to be draft picks stripped and people suspended indefinitely," Marks followed with.
Trent punishment would be a deathblow
It will be hard for the Milwaukee Bucks to build a contending squad over the next decade as is; if the NBA strips them of significant draft picks, it will only get more difficult. If General Manager Jon Horst loses his job amid all of this, Windhorst dared to say Milwaukee's opening for his position would be the worst in decades. Few people would want to inherit their headache, and understandably so.
There is no telling how significant the punishment will be. The NBA recently dropped the hammer on the LA Clippers for cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard—they lost five first round picks—but that was different. Wrongdoing in that situation came from Leonard getting compensated through external avenues. The Bucks gave Trent his $64 million extension through a "legal" path.
Potentially promising him that deal beforehand is where the issue comes from. While not as bad as the Leonard situation, the NBA might want to make an example out of the Milwaukee Bucks to make sure no one else follows their path. Losing five draft picks when the team doesn't have a star as is would decimate any optimism over the next several years.
Rookies might be Bucks' best hope
If the Milwaukee Bucks lose significant draft capital, most of their growth must come through internal candidates. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament will have bright spotlights on them in that regard. Faster than most expected, both players are starting and playing well for the Bucks. The franchise has a lot of uncertainty right now about who will be there in the future, but they don't fall into that category.
Five years from now, if these two are still on the rise, it could at least make the Milwaukee Bucks more respectable if they are trying to rebound from this franchise-altering punishment.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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