The National Basketball Players Association released a statement on Tuesday in favor of Giannis Antetokounmpo's desire to play again for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
"The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court. Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking."
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported on March 18, the Bucks approached Antetokounmpo about him sitting out (subscription required) for the remainder of the season. He hasn't played since March 15, when he suffered a left knee hyperextension.
As of last Tuesday, Giannis was set to be re-evaluated in a week, but there hasn't been an update on his status yet. He has participated in pregame workouts, though, furthering the belief he will take the floor again.
NBPA releases statement in support of Giannis playing again this season
If it's up to Antetokounmpo, he'll be back on the court again if he's cleared to do so, even though the Bucks sit 8.5 games behind the No. 10 Hornets. They're not going to make it to the play-in tournament.
Looking ahead to the draft, they'll receive the lesser of the Pelicans' pick and their own. New Orleans is 10-5 since the All-Star break, and has won four fewer games (25) than Milwaukee has this season (29). The Bucks currently have the ninth-worst record in the league, and the Pelicans have the eighth.
With 11 games left in the regular season, it's not like Milwaukee will reap major benefits in the draft if Antetokounmpo doesn't play again, and it loses its remaining games. While tanking is very much an issue in the NBA, the Bucks aren't the poster child of the issue — not even close. See the Jazz, for instance.
For Milwaukee, it's about ensuring that Giannis, who has played only 36 games this season due to various injuries, makes it to the offseason without sustaining a major setback.
If he opts not to sign an extension and becomes available on the trade market, the Bucks need him healthy to get as much value in return as possible (and even then, it likely won't be what they want). If he wants to stay with the team (which feels more unlikely now than it did last week), the team won't want him to spend the offseason rehabbing an injury.
It wasn't ideal for Giannis and Milwaukee to be at odds over whether he should play again, but the NBPA's involvement adds a whole new layer. In case it didn't already feel like a breakup was on the horizon, it certainly should now. Let's hope it doesn't get even messier.