"I’m going to work my butt off to come back probably end of February, beginning of March. Hopefully, the team can at least make the Play-In or playoffs, take it day by day, and try to get better.” Those are the words Giannis Antetokounmpo said shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks star announced he would likely be out for four to six weeks due to injury. It sounds obvious, but he's made his stance clear.
If he feels like there is still hope for Milwaukee, there's no reason why he wouldn't be back with the team after the NBA Trade Deadline has passed.
Giannis wants something he can come back to in Milwaukee
Giannis doesn't like all of the losing in Milwaukee this season. It's why trade rumors involving his name are more intense than ever before. If the losing continues and the Bucks are not in contention for the playoffs or even the Play-In by the time he returns, a year of Giannis' prime will be wasted. The Bucks sitting back and letting things play out as is could be the final straw on his end.
Milwaukee is 18-26 this season, including 3-11 when Giannis sits. Asking the team, as constructed, to go on a run right now, while also missing Kevin Porter Jr., is a tall order. Their only hope is to make a series of roster changes — the coaching staff wouldn't hurt, either. The current group isn't suddenly going to find its mojo, even with a favorable schedule. The sample size is big enough now.
There's also an argument to be made that no trade is fixing this. The changes this roster, which once looked like it could field a dark-horse Eastern Conference contender, need are too significant for an in-season teardown. Even if there are players out there who can help now, the Milwaukee Bucks are running low on any meaningful assets to acquire them. It's a spot no contender wants to be in.
Giannis will hate it, and it could finally ignite a breakup between him and the Milwaukee Bucks, but the best course of action right now may be to embrace a gap year. Don't trade away any valuable future draft capital in a short-sighted move. Let the season play out, get a high draft pick, undergo a real coaching search, and gain access to more draft capital this summer to embrace a roster retooling.
Jon Horst, Milwaukee's general manager, is caught in quite a predicament. He's done everything he can to appease Giannis and field a contender for years, but the magic is running out. He still has a few assets at his disposal, but those might be far too valuable to sacrifice just to keep Giannis happy for a couple more months.
Known for his aggressive swings and disregard for the future, Horst likely won't quit just yet. He may think there is something out there that helps this team and keeps Giannis fully locked in on staying in Milwaukee. It's not in his nature to give up when things get challenging; he is known for being the guy who traded for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard when things were unquestionably bleak.
Will he do it again after Giannis' latest statement, or will he accept that the team's issues might need far more than an in-season deal to patch? Giannis is still fully committed to competing this season. Are the Bucks, or does Giannis think he will have to suit up elsewhere for that? The entire NBA is holding its breath waiting for any answers.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.