The Milwaukee Bucks dropped a heartbreaker in overtime against the Indiana Pacers 119-118 which eliminated them from the playoffs in five games and ended the teams season.
Oshkosh’s own Indiana Pacer Tyrese Haliburton stapled the end for the Bucks season as he hit the game winning lay-up for the Pacers with 1.1 seconds left on the clock.
Since the conclusion of the series Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have taken storm, which is nothing new for us Bucks fans, but something about this year makes it feel legitimate. There’s been zero confirmation or hints that Antetokounmpo has desires to play anywhere else but the future of this franchise is clear as day. Meh.
The Bucks don’t control their own first round pick until 2031 according to fanspo.com and Damian Lillard went down with another serious lower leg injury, this time being a torn Achilles.
A torn Achilles is no joke and has serious career implications for a player similar to Lillards age, size, and ability. “Achilles injuries affect players over 30 the worst, often shortening their careers to just another season or two,” Tim Cado and Mike Prada wrote for sbnation.com.
Fear has rung through Bucks fans. The future is bleak, especially with Damian Lillard already projected to miss the entirety of last season, so, many media outlets have resorted to trading Antetokounmpo as the last life line for ‘saving’ the Bucks.
ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and many other major sports media outlets have begun creating their own versions of what the Antetokounmpo trade will look like. In a collaboration piece by the Athletics NBA staff, Milwaukee Bucks beat writer Eric Nehm stated, “I regret to inform other general managers that they will also be overpaying for Antetokounmpo,” Milwaukee Bucks beat writer Eric Nehm said in a collaboration piece for the Athletic. “The number of picks and swaps should probably start around eight.”
Speaking for myself, I think trading Antetokounmpo is a horrible idea, especially if he doesn’t request the trade. Regardless of the package, you don’t trade Antetokounmpo if you want any fans in the stands. The city of Milwaukee backs him like no other. He’s developed a clothing brand right outside the Fiserv, had murals painted of him across the city, and could be credited to keeping professional basketball in Milwaukee. It’s an impact that compares to no other athlete in the city’s history.
The package itself for Antetokounmpo would be incomparable to any trade in NBA history but the problem is, who can afford that?
The Houston Rockets, who lost in the first round of this year’s playoffs as well, have a surplus of young assets and are the favorites to land Giannis if he were to request a trade. Thing is, will the Rockets be willing to relinquish the demand from the Bucks? You’d think the answer would come quickly, but teams will hesitate to give up whatever they have to, to get Antetokounmpo because it’s not that easy.
Antetokounmpo comes with a massive contract and obvious franchise altering implications due to his trade price. I project that any team with the desire to trade for Antetokounmpo will have to get a third team involved just to make it worth it for the Bucks in terms of the return.
A mock trade between the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks from the Athletic is:
Bucks get: Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, Donovan Clingan, 2025 first (via Phoenix), 2027 first (via Phoenix), 2029 first (most favorable of Milwaukee, Portland or Washington), 2028 and 2030 Milwaukee swap rights extinguished
Rockets get: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jerami Grant
Trail Blazers get: Alperen Şengün, Jock Landale
In my opinion, this isn’t even enough. I like the idea of getting the Bucks their own picks back on top of Phoenix’s but Whitmore and Green don’t solve anything for me. Whitmore since being drafted has struggled to find consistent playing time, and Jalen Green put up a stinker in the first round against Golden State besides in Game 2 of the series. The potential additions of Thompson and Clingan are exciting though as both have lots of promise regarding their futures. The questions I raise are, is this package enough and is Houston willing to let go of all those assets?
Nehm says no, and I agree. There needs to be a package that the NBA has never seen before. Antetokounmpo is a young star with years of team control left and that holds more than enough value for a franchise altering return.
You cannot replace what Antetokounmpo has done for the franchise and the city, it’s not worth turning the whole city against you to ‘save’ the team’s hell it’s management put them in.
Not only are trade rumors lurking around the team, but there’s serious question marks about the roster heading into next season. Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., Tauren Prince, and Jericho Sims are all unrestricted free-agents meaning they could go anywhere without even conversing with the Bucks.
Each of these guys played minutes in the series against the Pacers, and if any depart we’ll see a huge chunk of minutes missing from the rotation. Hopefully the former first round pick Tyler Smith can start making more appearances but other than that, the roster doesn’t have other guys who are ready to step up. Ryan Rollins could see more minutes but he’s not even signed for next season, he’s a restricted free-agent meaning the Bucks can match any offers Rollins receives.
The rotational holes opening up and Antetokounmpo trade rumors have left Bucks nervous for what’s to come. From what we’ve seen in recent history, it’s hard to trust the front office to make the right moves but we cannot forget, they’re responsible for the first championship in the city of Milwaukee since the 1970-71 NBA season.
