The Milwaukee Bucks are used to trade drama around Giannis Antetokounmpo, but recent developments have been hard to ignore. With the team struggling, all the uncertainty and tension are trickling into the locker room, Shams Charania reported on Tuesday. For the Bucks, it's one more step in the wrong direction. They had hoped to avoid this element of the saga altogether.
The situation feels dangerously close to snowballing
Charania issued the dreaded update on Tuesday morning's episode of ESPN's "NBA Today" show.
"Wins and losses. That's the nature of the business right now in Milwaukee. … Conversations are active and open, as of last week between Giannis's side, his agent Alex Saratsis, and the Milwaukee Bucks. My understanding is the locker room can also feel the tension at play here."
Maybe it was naive to believe that this all too familiar extension of superstar trade drama wouldn't play out for the Bucks. But Doc Rivers made clear once again that Antetokounmpo has never made a formal trade request. Giannis said he wanted to run through a wall. There was reason to believe - or at least to hope - that things would blow over for now.
At the very least, fans did not anticipate having to deal with this mess so soon.
The Bucks remain firm in their stance on Giannis, but they haven't made things any easier on themselves by losing. They dropped seven straight games and have gone 2-3 since then. At 10-15, they linger on the fringes of the Play-in picture. Giannis is out injured again and won't be returning soon. If the team can't figure out how to navigate his absence, that win-loss record is going to get ugly.
Milwaukee's struggles are only fanning the flames around Giannis despite his reiterated commitment to winning for however long he is here. The problem is, he won't be on the court to help his teammates. Charania's emphasis on the importance of simply winning games isn't comforting. The Bucks face an immense amount of pressure over the next several weeks. Their performance during that span could determine whether Giannis ultimately asks out. It's looking bleak.
Here's the really uncomfortable part: NBA fans have all seen this movie before. A dissatisfied star explores the possibility of a trade, the season starts poorly, and the drama metastasizes. The team culture starts to crack. It's happened even though Giannis hasn't officially asked out or resorted to melodrama. Yet under enormous pressure and bombarded with constant coverage, it's only natural that Giannis' teammates would be affected.
In national and even local media coverage, the games themselves have become an afterthought. The biggest question after every game is how it impacts the trade situation. Is this bad loss the last straw? Will this spirited win keep him from pulling the trigger a bit longer?
Reassurance from Rivers, the front office, and even Giannis himself is becoming less effective at soothing an anxious fanbase. The drama feels real, and it's adding up fast after the summer's slow burn. If the Bucks don't turn it around, they could be facing even less welcome developments down the road.