If Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, continuing to compete for the playoffs makes far more sense than completely tanking. When a contending team trades for a superstar, the normal path is to add young talent and draft capital, choosing to tank in an attempt to land a top draft pick. Unfortunately, the Bucks don’t have that option available.
In their quest to put a championship-caliber team around Antetokounmpo for the past few years, they have cleaned out their draft cabinet. The Bucks don’t have full control over their own draft pick until 2031, meaning tanking wouldn’t yield the necessary results.
Their 2025 pick is top-four protected (meaning it will convey) and belongs to the Brooklyn Nets through a string of trades that trace back to the Jrue Holiday-New Orleans Pelicans deal. The Pelicans have the right to swap picks in 2026, and they own Milwaukee’s pick outright in 2027.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade, the Bucks still shouldn't tank
From 2028 to 2030, it’s a similar ordeal but with the Portland Trail Blazers from the Damian Lillard trade. Portland has the right to swap picks in 2028 and 2030, and they own the Bucks’ pick outright in 2029.
So, from now until 2031, if the Bucks find themselves in the lottery, they won’t reap the rewards.
Let’s say Antetokounmpo does want out this summer. The Bucks are on the brink of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row, and ever since the Lillard trade, they’ve made bad decision after bad decision.
Adding Lillard should have worked in theory, but the fit hasn’t panned out, and now, he’s going to be coming off an Achilles tear deep into next season (if he plays at all next year). The Adrian Griffin hire failed, they lost Malik Beasley after his successful contract, and trading Khris Middleton, a franchise legend, for Kyle Kuzma looks worse by the day.
Antetokounmpo requesting a trade would (unfortunately for the Bucks) make all the sense in the world.
But if they do trade him, they shouldn’t fully tank. Adding draft picks will be crucial. They need to stock up on young players so they can try to salvage their future as much as possible. But completely bottoming out would be pointless.
So, rather than simply getting picks and valueless contracts, Milwaukee should scour the market for project players and decent role guys.
Some examples could be Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, or Kel’el Ware from the Miami Heat. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, or Cason Wallace from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., or Dillon Brooks from the Houston Rockets. Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, or Cam Thomas from the Brooklyn Nets.
In most of those instances, the Bucks could get some quality young players and draft picks, allowing them to remain somewhat competitive while they keep their options open in the draft.
Since tanking won’t yield the top-four picks that the Bucks so desperately need, they might as well take a chance on some young project players and high-level role guys who could help them remain a face in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
All the while, they should be stocking up on other teams’ picks (and praying on their downfalls).