The fight over whether Giannis should play or sit isn't what's ending his Milwaukee career. It's just the final ugly chapter in a relationship that was already over. And no matter which side of the fence you're sitting on, one thing is certain: Giannis was on his way out regardless.
The latest episode of Giannis vs the Bucks confirms what everyone knew
Giannis, his coach, and the Milwaukee front office are now going at it out in the open, but none of it matters. Because Antetokounmpo likely made up his mind long ago. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported as much on his Substack (subscription required), and it confirms what everyone's been sensing for months.
"Even before it became known that the league office had opened an investigation into whether Milwaukee should clear Antetokounmpo to return to the floor even though the Bucks can no longer finish higher than 11th in the East, there was a strong belief leaguewide that a long-anticipated Giannis trade will finally happen this offseason," Stein wrote. "The acrimony that has spilled out in recent days has only increased that belief."
So this is where we are today. Teams are preparing offers. Milwaukee is mentally ready to move on. And Giannis has probably already told people close to him that he's done in Wisconsin.
The acrimony spilling out publicly only solidifies what was already inevitable. When your franchise player and organization are publicly disagreeing about basic roster management decisions, that's not something you recover from. There's no working through differences when trust is completely broken and a franchise cornerstone has made up his mind.
But Stein's reporting makes clear: the investigation isn't what will eventually kill Giannis' future in Milwaukee. That future was already dead and has been for the longest time. The investigation just made it public and gave everyone involved an easy narrative to explain why the split needed to happen.
For this writer, Antetokounmpo is merely manufacturing a reason to leave that doesn't stain his reputation of being a loyal, team-first guy. And in this latest saga, the Bucks have finally given him the leverage he needs to actually ask out without him needing to say it.
Giannis' issue with playing time gives him an easy out while protecting his reputation
Giannis was leaving regardless of whether he played these final games or sat. The extension was never going to be signed. The trade was always happening. We've all just been watching the slow-motion car crash play out while pretending there was still a chance to avoid it.
Summer's coming. The trade's happening. And everyone around the league already knows it, even if Milwaukee's still pretending there's a chance Giannis stays.
If Stein and his sources are to be trusted, there isn't a world where that was going to happen. Perhaps there never was. The only question left is where he ends up, not whether he's leaving.